Emotional and behavioural difficulties and quality of life of preterm children at 2 years regarding parental mental health

ABSTRACT

Preterm birth consequences may lead to developmental deficits, psychiatric disorders and may also cause parental mental health problems. Our aim was to describe quality of life and internalizing-externalizing behaviours of preterm children at 2 years regarding parental mental health. 112 mothers of preterm children provided the following information: pediatric quality of life, internalizing-externalizing behaviours, maternal perceived stress, anxiety, depression and satisfaction with life. Regarding emotional and behavioural problems and low quality of life, risk factors are lower birthweight, neonatal morbidities and lower socioeconomic status. Mothers with higher stress, more anxiety and depression symptoms and lower satisfaction with life reported more internalizing-externalizing behaviours and lower quality of life about their children. Among low birthweight children, conduct and hyperactivity problems are the most common at 2 years old. We emphasize the importance of parental mental health and the need forearly prevention and intervention in order to minimalize the burden of hyperactivity symptoms.

KEYWORDS:

• Emotional and behavioural difficulties
• quality of life
• low birthweight
• mental health
• hyperactivity/inattention

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank prof. Gábor Veres, the Head of Department of Pediatrics at the University of Debrecen, for authorizing our research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the New National Excellence Program of the Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Technology [grant number ÚNKP-19-3].

Notes on contributors

Flóra Kenyhercz

Flóra Kenyhercz is a health-psychologist and doctoral student at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Debrecen. Her research focus is on the quality of life, mental health, and psychomotor and cognitive development of preterm children.

Beáta Erika Nagy

Beáta Erika Nagy is a clinical child psychologist, psychotherapist and professor of child psychology at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Debrecen. Her research focus is on the psychomotor and cognitive development of preterm childrenand the mental health of children with chronic diseases.