The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an early psychological intervention, Triadic parent-infant Relationship Therapy (TRT), on parenting stress, parental mental health, and preterm infant development in the motor, cognitive, emotional and behavioral domains at a corrected age of 18 months.
Due to prematurity induced infant-mother separation at birth, sometimes for several weeks, and owing to the concerns it generates, preterm birth exposes the parent-child attachment link to disturbances, especially the mother-child attachment after discharge. Several psychological factors affect infant (distress, dysmaturity ) and parents (psychological pain). These can cause lasting parent-child interactions disruption and jeopardize the attachment process. These early link distortions may hinder the infant's behavioral-emotional and cognitive development. Prematurity psychological consequences may negatively influence biomedical risks. Understanding these premature infants' future development modalities and support involves taking into account intricate organic and psychological factors - which may be combined as well. Post-hospital psychological intervention with the family, focusing on parental mental health and triadic parent-infant relationship, proves an essential element in these children care, whose birth conditions were painful.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
89
22 sessions, including home visits twice per month during the first four months, followed by monthly consultations in the neonatology ward, up to corrected age of 18 months.
Change in the "Parent-Infant Relationship" assessed by Parenting Stress Index ( PSI-SF) scores : assessing level of stress in parenting
Time frame: assessments at each time point: at the corrected ages of 3 and 18 months
Change in "Parent-Infant Relationship" assessed by "R" interview scores : assessing level of parental self-esteem
Time frame: assessments at each time point: at the corrected ages of 3 and 18 months
"Parent-Infant Relationship" assessed by Q-sort attachment scores : assessing the score of the attachment security of the infant at the corrected age of 18 months
We needed to use a variety of measures because these measures had to be tailored to the child's stage of development. To ensure the relative strength conclusion on the treatment effect, the statistic analyses of test scores each time point were made using bonefferoni correction for multiple comparisons. Parenting Stress Index ( PSI-SF), "R" interview and Q-sort attachment were tests based on the infant's age at different assessment periods.
Time frame: assessment at the corrected age of 18 months
Change in "Parental Mental Health" assessed by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) scores: assessing level of post-traumatic stress
Time frame: assessments at each time point: at 44 weeks gestational age and at the corrected age of 18 months
Change in "Parental Mental Health" assessed by Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores: assessing level of depression
Time frame: assessments at each time point: at 44 weeks gestational age and at the corrected ages of 3, 9 and18 months
Change in "Parental Mental Health" assessed by Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores: assessing level of postpartum depression
The BDI and the EPDS are both based on the frequency of depressive symptoms The statistic analyses were used to compare the evolution of all of the other scores over time. The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were tests that were resorted to enable us to examine and monitor the preterm birth traumatic impact on parental mental health.
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Time frame: assessments at each time point: at 44 weeks gestational age and at the corrected ages of 3, 9 and18 months
"Infant Development" assessed by the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) scores: assessing the baby's neurobehavioral development
Time frame: assessments at 44 weeks gestational age
Change in "Infant Development"assessed by the Brunet-Lezine Psychomotor Development Scales: assessing developmental quotient (DQ)
Time frame: assessments at each time point: at the corrected ages of 3, 9 and 18 months
Change in "Infant Development"assessed by Infant Behavioral Symptom scores:assessing scores behaviors and emotional capabilities
The statistic analyses were used to compare the evolution of all of the other scores over time. The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS),the Brunet-Lezine Psychomotor Development Scale and Infant Behavioral Symptom were tests that were complementary and enable us to assess infant's various facets of socio-emotional, motor and cognitive development at different stage of development.
Time frame: assessments at each time point: at the corrected ages of 9 and 18 months