Family functioning and maternal depression following premature birth

Abstract

The families of 45 premature infants, 23 of whom weighed less than 1500 g at birth, were followed during their infants' hospitalization and early weeks at home. Mothers' perceptions of family adjustment and partner support, their descriptions of the impact of the infant on their families, and their levels of depression were measured at three time points: during hospitalization, immediately after discharge, and 6 weeks after homecoming. Neither infant birthweight nor demographic factors were significantly associated with any aspect of family functioning. Almost half the mothers reported symptoms associated with depression at all three time points. These mothers perceived family functioning to be further from the ideal, reported lower levels of partner support, and considered their infants to have had a more major impact on their lives than did mothers without depressive symptoms.