The impact of paternal feelings and stress on mother–child interactions and on the development of the preterm newborn

ABSTRACT

This study aims to evaluate the influence of fathers’ negative feelings, parenting stress and post-traumatic symptomatology experienced after the premature birth of their infant onmother–child interaction and on infant’s development in the perinatal period. Forty-five fathers and 45 mothersof preterm infants (GA = 30.25 ± 2.95; birth weight = 1288.02 ± 488.76) filled out:Impact of Event Scale Revised, Profile of Mood States and Parenting Stress Index Short Form. At 3 months of infants’ corrected age, mother–child interactions were assessed by Global Rating Scales (GRS) and the development of the preterms was tested by Bayley Scales of Infant Development. Higher scores in paternal feelings, stress and post-traumatic symptomatology predicted lower scores in Global Rating Scales dimensions and in the Bayley Scales of Infant Development scales. Feelings and stress experienced by fathers of preterms should be considered risk factors for the building of mother-child interaction and for the early language development of preterms.

Abbreviations: BSID-III: Bayley Scales of Infant Development third edition; BW: Birth weight; CA: Corrected age; COG: Cognitive Scale; GA: Gestational age; GRS: Global Rating Scale; IES-R: Impact of Event Scale Revised; LANG: Language Scale; LANG EC: Expressive Communication Subtest; LANG RC: Receptive Communication Subtest; NICU: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; POMS: Profile of Mood States; PSI SF: Parenting Stress Index Short Form; PTSS: post-traumatic symptomatology

KEYWORDS:

• Prematurity
• fathers
• parental stress
• mother–child interaction
• infant development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Chiara Ionio, PhD, is Researcher in Developmental and Educational Psychology at Catholic University of Milan, since June 2006. Her major research interests are: the impact of traumatic events on children and adolescents; perinatal psychology (preterm birth, parent–child interaction and child's neuropsychological development; twin births and parental stress during pregnancies and after childbirth; prenatal and postnatal attachment in women with oncological diagnosis during pregnancy).

Eleonora Mascheroni, PhD: Her main research interest are: the impact of preterm birth on parent–child interaction and on child's neuropsychological development; the impact of twin births on parental stress during pregnancies and after childbirth; risk and protective factors for the construction of prenatal and postnatal attachment in women with oncological diagnosis during pregnancy.

Annamaria Banfi is a physiotherapists in NICU at V.Buzzi Children's Hospital of Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco.

Maria Giulia Olivari, PhD, is a research fellow at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Her research focuses on adolescent romantic and sexual development, sexual risk taking and parenting styles and practices.

Caterina Colombo is a psychologist and psychotherapist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at V.Buzzi Children's Hospital of Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco since 2004 and in NICU at V.Buzzi Children's Hospital of Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco since 2005. She is an ordinary member of the Italian Association of Child Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy (AIPPI). Her major research interests are: pregnancy; mother–child interaction; the effects of psychotherapy on children and adolescents.

Emanuela Confalonieri, PhD, is an associate professor at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and she coordinates the Research Unit on School Psychology of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore. Her research focuses on body image in adolescence, adolescent romantic and sexual development, parenting styles and school education.

Gianluca Lista, MD: Neonatologist in Chief of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the “V.Buzzi” Ospedale dei Bambini–Milan, ASST Fatebenefratelli Sacco (Italy). His major area of interest: pulmonology; intensive care and nutrition of preterm infants; neuroimaging and neurodevelopment of newborn and high risk of brain damage.

ORCID

Chiara Ionio http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0163-3841

Eleonora Mascheroni https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8248-7550

Maria Giulia Olivari https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1155-9489

Emanuela Confalonieri https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0921-1739

Gianluca lista https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6636-5673