Parenting very low birth weight children at school age: maternal stress and coping.
OBJECTIVE
To compare severity and determinants of stress and coping in mothers of 8-year-old very low birth weight (VLBW) and term children varying in medical and developmental risk.


METHODS
Three groups of mothers/infants were prospectively compared in a longitudinal study from birth to 8 years (110 high-risk VLBW, 80 low-risk VLBW, and 112 term). Maternal psychological distress, coping, parenting/marital stress, child health, and family impact were measured in the children at age 8 years.


RESULTS
Mothers of VLBW children differed from term mothers, reporting less consensus with partners, more concern for their children's health, less parent-child conflict, and fewer years of education attained. Mothers of high-risk VLBW children experienced the greatest family and personal strains and used less denial and disengagement coping. The groups exhibited no differences in the sense of parenting competence, divorce rate, parenting/marital satisfaction, family cohesion, and psychological distress symptoms. Multiple birth, low socioeconomic status, and lower child IQ added to maternal stress.


CONCLUSIONS
VLBW birth has long-term negative and positive impacts on maternal/family outcomes related to the infant's medical risk.
Singer
Lynn T
LT
Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. Lynn.singer@case.edu
Fulton
Sarah
S
Kirchner
H Lester
HL
Eisengart
Sheri
S
Lewis
Barbara
B
Short
Elizabeth
E
Min
Meeyoung O
MO
Kercsmar
Carolyn
C
Baley
Jill E
JE
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D007360:Intelligence; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D033261:Maternal-Fetal Relations; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009769:Object Attachment; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires