PTSS in fathers of VLBW infants two to four years postpartum: A pilot study.

Abstract

Aim:To conduct a pilot study to compare fathers of very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500grams) infants and of term infants at two to four years postpartum for self-reported post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) related to the previous birth of their baby, and for depression, and anxiety. The prevalence of paternal PTSS was compared with that of a historical cohort of mothers of VLBW infants followed up at a similar postnatal age.Methods: 26 fathers of VLBW infants and 22 fathers of term infants completed four validated psychological questionnaires at two to four years postpartum. Results: PTSS levels were significantly higher in fathers of VLBW infants than in fathers of term infants, and PTSS levels did not differ significantly between fathers and the mothers of VLBW infants of an historical cohort. There was a significant association between perceived levels of social support and PTSS severity in fathers of VLBW infants, but not for their anxiety or depression severity. Conclusion: PTSS directly related to the birth of their VLBW infants are present in fathers at two to four years postpartum and occur at similar levels to those found in mothers of VLBW infants. Routine screening for PTSS in fathers of VLBW infants is important and targeted psychological support should be offered. Larger scale studies in the area are needed to elucidate further information about PTSS in fathers postpartum.

Does Birth-Related Trauma Last? Prevalence and Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress in Mothers and Fathers of VLBW Preterm and Term Born Children 5 Years After Birth

“…Furthermore, perceived social support 4-6 weeks postpartum showed a negative bivariate association with PTSS 5 years later for both parents, but the association turned insignificant in multiple regression analysis. This result was unexpected since previous research has shown a close connection between low social support and PTSS from some weeks up to 2 years after birth (6,12,17). One explanation for this result might be that lack of social support played an important role for the development of PTSS after birth, as for mothers, a positive moderate sized bivariate association was found between these two variables.…”

“…Mehler et al (9) described a decrease of PTSS in fathers of low-risk preterm infants from birth to 3 months postpartum. Alexander et al (17) reported elevated PTSS in 27% of fathers of preterm infants 2-4 years after birth using the IES-R. However, since this was a small cross-sectional study, conclusions about the long-term course of PTSS cannot be drawn.…”

“…Results for fathers were ambiguous; one study found no difference between fathers of preterm and term infants regarding perceived social support (9), whereas one study reported that fathers of preterm infants perceived more social support compared to fathers of term babies (30). Perceived social support was associated with PTSS shortly after birth for mothers and fathers (6), several months after birth for mothers (12), and for fathers of VLBW babies 2-4 years after birth (17).…”

“…Research on fathers is scarce, however, more studies in recent years have also included their perspective. Several studies showed higher PTSS for fathers of preterm children compared to fathers of term children (6,9,(17)(18)(19).…”

Parental perceptions of the impact of neonatal unit visitation policies during COVID-19 pandemic

“…Preterm birth is associated with increased anxiety, post-natal depression (PND) and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in both mothers Open access and fathers; symptoms persist even at 2-4 years postpartum. [26][27][28] The additional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and adding to their burden through restrictive visiting policies would seem only likely to increase the risk of PND and PTSS and disruption of parental-infant bonding. 16 19 There are a few study limitations.…”