Abstract
Preterm delivery is a particularly challenging experience that can be experienced by mothers as a traumatic event, causing dissociative reactions and authentic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this work, we proposed to study the prevalence of perinatal dissociation and PTSD in mothers of preterm babies compared to a control group of mothers of term babies and to identify factors that may contribute to the occurrence of perinatal dissociation and PTSD following premature childbirth. We conducted a cross-sectional and comparative study, including 97 mothers of premature babies and 80 controls. We used the Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire to screen for PTSD, the peri-traumatic dissociation questionnaire to measure the level of perinatal dissociation, and the Perinatal Risk Inventory to assess perinatal risk. Compared to mothers of term infants, mothers of preterm infants had significantly higher rates of peri-traumatic dissociation and PTSD. Our results are consistent with previous studies, and add additional credit to the traumatic nature of preterm delivery. Setting up specific support modalities seems essential in the case of premature births in order to ensure a better quality of mother-child interactions and optimal development of the child.
Highlights
The advance in perinatal and neonatal care has considerably increased the survival rates of preterm infants
Several authors have highlighted the traumatic nature of having a preterm born child, which can potentially lead to postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [4, 5]
The present findings indicate higher prevalence of dissociation among mothers of preterm infants in comparison with the control group
Summary
The advance in perinatal and neonatal care has considerably increased the survival rates of preterm infants. Preterm birth is still the leading cause of infant mortality, pediatric morbidity, and long-term disability [1]. Preterm birth is considered as a stressful and emotionally demanding experience that has short and long term impact on family, especially on mothers. Several studies have explored maternal experiences, precisely as depression or persistent anxiety [2, 3]. It was only recently that the experience of having a premature child was explored as a traumatic experience. Several authors have highlighted the traumatic nature of having a preterm born child, which can potentially lead to postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [4, 5]
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