Predictors of Improvement in Parental Stress After the First Three Months at Home with a Medically Fragile Infant

Conclusions for PracticeThe time of discharge from hospital to home is often stressful for parents of medically fragile infants. Improvements were found during the first 3 months at home, but improvement was minimal for stress related to role function and providing medical care. Past experience with pregnancy-related loss and being younger were associated with improvement in stress across theoretical domains. Screening for stress should be included as part of routine pre- and post-neonatal intensive care unit discharge psychosocial assessments of parents caring for infants with serious illness to ensure their unique support needs continue to be met over time.
Source: Maternal and Child Health Journal - Category: Health Management Source Type: research