Parent health and functioning 13 months after infant or child NICU/PICU death

After a child's death, parents may experience depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and increased risk for cancers, diabetes, psychiatric hospitalization, and suicide. Racial/ethnic differences are unknown. This longitudinal study investigated health and functioning of Hispanic, bla...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 2013-11, Vol.132 (5), p.e1295-e1301
Main Authors: Youngblut, Joanne M, Brooten, Dorothy, Cantwell, G Patricia, del Moral, Teresa, Totapally, Balagangadhar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Alcohol
Child
Child, Preschool
Female
Health aspects
Health Status
Hospitalization
Humans
Infant
Infant mortality
Infants
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Intensive Care Units, Pediatric
Male
Middle Aged
Mortality, Premature
Parents
Parents & parenting
Parents - psychology
Patient outcomes
Pediatrics
Post traumatic stress disorder
Psychological aspects
Racial differences
Retrospective Studies
Risk assessment
Risk factors
Social aspects
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - epidemiology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Suicides & suicide attempts
Time Factors
Young Adult
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Summary:After a child's death, parents may experience depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and increased risk for cancers, diabetes, psychiatric hospitalization, and suicide. Racial/ethnic differences are unknown. This longitudinal study investigated health and functioning of Hispanic, black, and white parents through 13 months after NICU/PICU death. Parents (176 mothers, 73 fathers) of 188 deceased infants/children were recruited from 4 NICUs, 4 PICUs, and state death certificates 2 to 3 weeks after death. Deaths occurred after limiting treatment/withdrawing life support (57%), unsuccessful resuscitation (32%), or brain death (11%). Data on parent physical health (hospitalizations, chronic illness), mental health (depression, PTSD, alcohol use), and functioning (partner status, employment) were collected in the home at 1, 3, 6, and 13 months after death. Mean age for mothers was 32 ± 8, fathers 37 ± 9; 79% were Hispanic or black. Thirteen months after infant/child death, 72% of parents remained partnered, 2 mothers had newly diagnosed cancer, alcohol consumption was below problem drinking levels, parents had 98 hospitalizations (29% stress related) and 132 newly diagnosed chronic health conditions, 35% of mothers and 24% of fathers had clinical depression, and 35% of mothers and 30% of fathers had clinical PTSD. At 6 months after infant/child death, 1 mother attempted suicide. Week 1 after infant/child death, 9% of mothers and 32% of fathers returned to employment; 7 parents took no time off. More Hispanic and black mothers than white mothers had moderate/severe depression at 6 months after infant/child death and PTSD at every time point. Parents, especially minority mothers, have negative physical and mental health outcomes during the first year after NICU/PICU death.
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.2013-1194