How does stress affect maternal and paternal perceptions of relationship strain after a preterm birth? Results of a retrospective survey study

Abstract

AbstractAimStrain on couple relationships is associated with a lower well‐being. As premature birth is known to pose stress to parents, this study explores whether interparental relationship strain comes to pass within mothers and fathers during their infant's stay in a neonatal intensive care unit.MethodsA retrospective cross‐sectional survey was conducted with parents who experienced a preterm birth (September to December 2020). Linear regression was used to analyse associations between stress and relationship strain.ResultsThe study included 437 mothers and 301 fathers. Fathers experienced lower relationship strain (M = 2.49, SD = 1.00) than mothers (M = 3.37, SD = 1.04). Overall, a significant association between relationship strain and stress due to the infant's behaviour and appearance was found for mothers (β = 0.16, p = 0.02) and fathers, with a significantly higher association for fathers (β = 0.27, p ≤ 0.002). With regard to parental role alterations, only mothers showed a significant association (β = 0.21, p ≤ 0.001).ConclusionAlthough mothers showed higher levels of stress and relationship strain, stress may also have an impact on fathers. Therefore, research should focus on stress prevention measures to meet both maternal and paternal needs.