Abstract
BackgroundIt is well documented that heightened levels of parenting stress have a negative influence on children’s socio-emotional and behavioral development. Parenting stress may therefore be regarded as an outcome variable in its own right. This study investigated whether a sensitizing intervention influences stress reported by parents of prematurely born children until the children were age nine.MethodsPreterm infants (N =146, birth weight <2,000 g) were randomized to intervention (N =72) with the Mother-Infant Transaction Program (MITP) or a preterm control group (N =74) that received standard hospital care. A term reference group comprised 75 healthy, full-term neonates. Parents reported on the Parenting Stress Index (PSI) when the children were 6 months, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 years old and on the PSI-Short Form (PSI-SF) at age 9. Main outcomes were the mother’s and father’s reports of total, child and parent-related stress. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were performed using linear mixed models (LMM), taking dependency in the data caused by twin pairs and repeated measures into account. Response rates were high across all follow-ups, and still reached 85% from mothers and 72% from fathers at 9 years.ResultsMothers in the intervention group reported better longitudinal development of child-related stress than mothers of preterm controls, as they perceived their children as being more adaptable and less moody throughout childhood until the age of seven. Less stress in the intervention group was revealed by cross-sectional analysis of maternal reports at all ages, while fathers reported similar differences at ages three and five. Parents in the intervention group reported stronger agreement on several stress scores on several occasions. Fathers with high interventional participation (mean 54%) reported significantly less stress at age nine than those who participated less. Both parents in the intervention group reported levels of stress similar to those experienced by the term reference group at all follow-ups, while differences between the preterm control and term reference groups increased.ConclusionsThis early intervention reduces stress among parents of prematurely born children to a level reported by parents of term-born children and enhances agreement between parents.Trial registrationClinical Trials Gov identifier NCT00222456, 05.09.2005.
Highlights
It is well documented that heightened levels of parenting stress have a negative influence on children’s socio-emotional and behavioral development
Longitudinal development of parenting stress in the PI and Preterm controls (PC) groups No group by age interactions were uncovered on Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Total Stress (TS) as reported by mothers or fathers from age 6 months until 7 years (Figure 2)
This study evaluated whether a sensitizing, early intervention affected the development of parenting stress among mothers and fathers of prematurely born children until age nine
Summary
It is well documented that heightened levels of parenting stress have a negative influence on children’s socio-emotional and behavioral development. Reducing the levels of stress is important for improving parental psychological health and because it may improve the efficacy of interventions that target these children’s behavioral problems [5]. Treyvaud et al [9] recently reported that parents of very preterm children continue to report more child- and parent-related stress lasting until children’s age of (hereinafter ‘age’) seven. This may indicate that parents of prematurely born children find it just as difficult to interpret and adapt to the immature expressions of a preterm-born infant today as they did 30 years ago, irrespective of their child’s medical condition. The gap between normal parental expectations and infant expressive capacity needs to be reduced following the birth of a preterm child
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
