Stress Factors and their Alleviation in Parents of High Risk Pre‐term Infants

Abstract

Often severe stress is experienced by parents after the birth of a high risk premature infant. This review defines this type of parental stress as differentiated from the normal stress of transition to parenthood; reviews the literature which delineates a conceptual framework for relating pre‐term at‐risk birth to specific parental stressreactions; and proposes strategies that may assist in alleviating these reactions.