title: Parental Perception of Risk Associated With Their Premature Infant.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm birth has been linked to increased parental stress, depression, and anxiety. Although the rate of neonatal morbidity and mortality decreases with increasing gestational age, recent research has revealed that there is no threshold age for risk or parental concern.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study examines parental concern about medical and developmental outcomes of their premature infant.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of 60 premature infants were surveyed in a follow-up clinic regarding their level of concern about 11 morbidities and their child's gestation-adjusted age; these were compared with the infant's inpatient chart. "Concern scores" were tallied and compared across gestational age groups and knowledge of gestation-adjusted age using Chi-square tests of independence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many parents reported concerns about morbidities that were unsupported by their child's diagnoses. Across parents of extremely, very, and moderate-late preterm children, the mean concern scores were 13.9, 15.7, and 19.7, respectively. Overall, 62% of parents incorrectly reported the gestation-adjusted age of their child. Parents who were correct were significantly more likely to correctly anticipate abnormal developmental patterns (70%) and growth patterns (65%) than those who were incorrect (33% and 31%, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future research should focus on whether NICU graduate parental stress levels are directly linked to the severity of their child's condition, and how physicians can help decrease NICU graduate parental stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parental anxiety regarding all gestational age neonatal intensive care unit infant outcomes can be decreased by a thorough explanation of gestation-adjusted age and a discussion of expected prematurity-related issues.
authors.affiliation: Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, New Hyde Park (Mss Fletcher and Pham and Drs Papaioannou and Milanaik); and Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, New York (Dr Spinazzola).
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fletcher
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pham
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Papaioannou
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Spinazzola
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milanaik
authors.forename: Shelley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thibeau
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000523:psychology