Parental anxiety following discharge from hospital of their very low birth weight infants

Gail K. Auslander*, Dvorah Netzer, Ilan Arad

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

38 Scopus citations

Abstract

The uncertainty regarding the future well-being of very low birth weight infants is a source of considerable anxiety for parents, even after discharge from the hospital. We identify factors related to postdischarge anxiety levels of parents of 65 infants. Infant's weight relative to gestational age; the presence of central nervous system complications; informational support; and a warm, caring attitude by hospital staff explained 35% of the variance in mothers' anxiety levels. Father's age, infant's gender, perception of the infant as problematic, and the availability of child care support explained 33% of the variance in fathers' anxiety levels. Practice implications, including both identification of high-risk groups and interventions aimed at bringing about change in specific factors, are discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)12-21
Number of pages10
JournalFamily Relations
Volume52
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2003

Keywords

  • Anxiety
  • Infants
  • Low birth weight
  • Parents
  • Preterm

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