Preterm birth and postnatal depression in mothers and fathers: effects on infant development during the first year of life

Introduction: Postnatal depression has been widely recognized as a risk factor for women’s health and infant development, especially in traumatic experiences like preterm birth (Vigod et al., 2010; Neri et al., 2015). While the literature has widely investigated the consequences of postnatal depression on preterm babies’ mothers, less is known about paternal depression. The aims of the study were: to compare levels of depressive symptoms between preterm and full-term infants’ mothers and fathers; to study the influence of parental depression on infant development during infant’s first year of life. Materials and methods: 192 parents (99 mothers; 93 fathers) were recruited in the NICU of Bufalini hospital, Cesena (Italy) (preterm group-PT), while 165 families (88 mothers; 77 fathers) were recruited at antenatal classes at the same hospital (full-term group-FT). The total sample included 357 families. At 3 months of infant corrected age, mothers and fathers completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale-EPDS (Cox et al., 1987) and a form regarding sociodemographic, obstetric and infant clinical data. The level of infant development was assessed by Griffiths Mental Development Scales-GMDS (Griffiths, 1996). Results: Data analyses are in progress. The levels of depressive symptoms were always significantly higher in mothers when compared to fathers (p=0,009). According to group status, PT parents were significantly more depressed than FT group (p=0,05) at 3 months of infant corrected age, while no differences emerged at 9 and 12 months. Conclusions: Results confirm how preterm birth represent a risk factor for postnatal depression, especially in mothers and in the first months after childbirth. Early diagnosis can help to plan supportive, preventive interventions in the neonatal period.