Stress in parents of children born very preterm is predicted by child externalising behaviour and parent coping at age 7 years

To examine factors which predict parenting stress in a longitudinal cohort of children born very preterm, and seen at age 7 years. We recruited 100 very preterm (≤32 weeks gestational age) child-parent dyads and a control group of 50 term-born dyads born between 2001 and 2004 with follow-up at 7 yea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of disease in childhood 2015-06, Vol.100 (6), p.554-558
Main Authors: Linden, Mark A, Cepeda, Ivan L, Synnes, Anne, Grunau, Ruth E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Analysis
Child
Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis
Coping (Psychology)
Female
Gestational Age
Health aspects
Humans
Infant, Extremely Premature
Infants (Premature)
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Parent and child
Parent-Child Relations
Parents
Parents - psychology
Premature infants
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychological aspects
Regression Analysis
Risk factors
Stress (Psychology)
Stress, Psychological - diagnosis
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:To examine factors which predict parenting stress in a longitudinal cohort of children born very preterm, and seen at age 7 years. We recruited 100 very preterm (≤32 weeks gestational age) child-parent dyads and a control group of 50 term-born dyads born between 2001 and 2004 with follow-up at 7 years. Parents completed the Parenting Stress Index, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Child Behavior Check List, Beck Depression Inventory and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory questionnaires. Child IQ was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale-IV. After controlling for maternal education, parents of preterm children (95% CI 111.1 to 121.4) scored higher (p=0.027) on the Parenting Stress Index than term-born controls (95% CI 97.8 to 113.2). Regression analyses showed that child externalising behaviour, sex and parent escape/avoidance coping style, predicted higher parenting stress in the preterm group. Parents of preterm girls expressed higher levels of stress than those of boys. Maladaptive coping strategies contribute to greater stress in parents of very preterm children. Our findings suggest that these parents need support for many years after birth of a very preterm infant.
ISSN:0003-9888
1468-2044
DOI:10.1136/archdischild-2014-307390