Quality of life of parents of school age children with a birth weight less than 1500 grams

Abstract

IntroductionThe birth of a preterm child has a high family emotional cost. The aim of this study is to assess the quality of life of parents of children aged 5–7 years born prematurely (<1500g). Participants and methodsThis is a cross-sectional study of a sample of parents of preterm infants admitted to a third level hospital in Spain between 2009 and 2011. Their infants weighed less than 1500g at birth, and were 5–7 years old at the moment of the study. Parents completed the Parental Stress Scale, Family Apgar, Zarit modified scale, and Graffar-Méndez Castellano method (1994). A total of 94 cases were analysed (40 girls and 54 boys). ResultsAll data passed normality assumptions. Results showed no gender, weight or gestational age differences in our sample on the Zarit modified scale, Parental Stress Scale, or by the Graffar method. Differences between boys and girls were found in the Family Apgar test. Also, the Graffar method and degree of familiar malfunction showed significant results. The parents of preterm children with developmental problems at the time of the study showed significant differences with respect to parents of children without these problems in the Family Apgar test and the Zarit modified scale. ConclusionsThe possible impact of the birth of a preterm child with less than 1500g of weight is not appreciated between 5 and 7 years of age, except for the differences found in the perception of family functionality and caregiver overload among parents of children with and without developmental alterations.