Predictors of parenting stress trajectories in premature infant–mother dyads.

Abstract

This prospective longitudinal study examined predictors of parenting stress trajectories over time in a sample of 125 mothers and their preterm infants. Infant (multiple birth, gestational age, days hospitalized, and neonatal health risks) and maternal (socioeconomic, education, depressive symptoms, social support, and quality of interaction during infant feeding) characteristics were collected just prior to infant hospital discharge. Parenting stress and maternal interaction quality during play were measured at 4, 24, and 36 months corrected age. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze infant and maternal characteristics as predictors of parenting stress scores and change over time. Results indicated significant variability across individuals in parenting stress at 4 months and in change trajectories. Mothers of multiples and infants with more medical risks and shorter hospitalization, and mothers with lower education and more depressive symptoms, reported more parenting stress at 4 months of age. Parenting stress decreased over time for mothers of multiples and for mothers with lower education more than for mothers of singletons or for mothers with higher educational levels. Changes in parenting stress scores over time were negatively associated with maternal behaviors during mother–infant interactions. Results are interpreted for their implications for preventive interventions.

Communicating with parents in neonatal intensive care units: The impact on parental stress

“…Communication stress was peculiarly present in parents who had experienced multiple births. As similar effects are already reported elsewhere [58,59], we assume that multiple birth and having more than one child in the NICU affects the risk of communication stress, requiring additional communication needs. Thus, additional support resources for parents of multiples may be of particular benefit.…”

Parenting stress trajectories in mothers of very preterm infants to 2 years

“…In a study with just two time periods, it was also reported that the Child Domain on the PSI was significantly higher for the mothers of very preterm compared with full-term children, with a trend towards change over time 14. In contrast, both Kaaresen et al 21 and Spinelli et al 9 reported no significant change in parenting stress for mothers of preterm infants over time. In the current study, in addition to Total Stress Scores, the Difficult Child subscale on the PSI-SF (the questions being very similar to those on the Child Domain on the PSI) indicated a significant change over time between the preterm and term mothers.…”

“…Additionally, it was found that the stress levels did not change as the child grew older. Spinelli et al 9 examined parenting stress at three time points—4, 24 and 36 months in a study of preterm infants born in 2002–2005. The results indicated that there was only a slight increase in stress over time.…”

Maternally administered interventions for preterm infants in the NICU: Effects on maternal psychological distress and mother–infant relationship

“…For example, several studies have suggested mothers of multiple birth infants have more distress and less positive interactions than mothers of singletons (Holditch-Davis et al, 2007; Spinelli, Poehlmann, & Bolt, 2013). Thus, determining if the interventions had differential effects on mothers of multiples and mothers of singletons would be interesting.…”