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. 2022 Jul 22:13:906531.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906531. eCollection 2022.

Parent-infant closeness after preterm birth and depressive symptoms: A longitudinal study

Liisa Lehtonen  1   2 , Siri Lilliesköld  3   4 , Kris De Coen  5 , Liis Toome  6 , Ana Gimeno  7 , Sylvia Caballero  8 , Rasa Tameliene  9 , Sabine Laroche  10   11 , Jana Retpap  12 , Hege Grundt  13 , Marie-Rose Van Hoestenberghe  14 , Caryl Skene  15 , Bernd Pape  16   17 , Anna Axelin  18   19 ; Separation, Closeness Experiences in Neonatal Environment (SCENE) research group
Affiliations

Parent-infant closeness after preterm birth and depressive symptoms: A longitudinal study

Liisa Lehtonen et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: Preterm birth increases the risk for postpartum depression in both mothers and fathers, calling for strategies to alleviate and prevent depressive symptoms in parents of preterm infants. The aim of this study was to assess the association between early parent-infant closeness and later depressive symptoms among parents of preterm infants. We hypothesized that longer duration of closeness associate with fewer depressive symptoms in both parents.

Methods: This prospective cohort study included 23 neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) from 15 countries in 2018 to 2020. Each unit recruited families with preterm infants aiming to 30 families. The total duration of parents' presence in the NICU, and separately parent-infant skin-to-skin contact and holding, were measured using a Closeness Diary up to 14 days. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used at discharge and at 4 months corrected age of the infant.

Results: The study included 684 mothers and 574 fathers. The median presence was 469 min (Q1 258 and Q3 1,087) per 24 h for the mothers and 259 min (Q1 100 and Q3 540) for the fathers; mean EPDS scores were 9.2 (SD 5.0) and 6.3 (SD 4.4) at discharge and 6.6 (4.7) and 4.3 (4.2) at 4 months, respectively. Parents' presence and depressive symptoms varied greatly between the units. Parents' presence as the total measure, or skin-to-skin contact and holding separately, did not associate with depressive symptoms in either mothers or fathers at either time point (adjusted).

Conclusion: No association was found between the duration of parent-infant closeness in the neonatal unit and parents' depressive symptoms. The beneficial effects of family-centered care on parents' depression seem to be mediated by other elements than parent-infant physical closeness. More research is needed to identify the critical elements which are needed to alleviate parents' depression after NICU stay.

Keywords: neonatal intensive care unit; parenting; postpartum depression; preterm birth; skin-to-skin contact.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart on eligible families, those approached and those who agreed to participate.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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