How does stress affect maternal and paternal perceptions of relationship strain after a preterm birth? Results of a retrospective survey study
Open accessAbstract
Aim: Strain 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. Methods: A 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. Results: The 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). Conclusion: Although 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.
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Both mothers and fathers experience strain on the couple relationship during NICU admissions.
“NICU fathers also tend to report increased levels of distress during their infants’ NICU admissions (Cajiao-Nieto et al., 2021), with evidence of both mothers and fathers experiencing strain on the couple relationship (Reimer et al., 2023).”
From “NICU Doesn’t Stop in the NICU”: Maternal Perspectives of the Impact of a NICU Experience over Time (2026) · cites this paper as Reimer et al., 2023
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“NICU Doesn’t Stop in the NICU”: Maternal Perspectives of the Impact of a NICU Experience over Time
Poe, C., Bonifacio, L., Gabriel, A., Jacobson, N., Kelley, K., Sorrells, K., & Shaw, R. (2026) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs16050760
“NICU fathers also tend to report increased levels of distress during their infants’ NICU admissions (Cajiao-Nieto et al., 2021), with evidence of both mothers and fathers experiencing strain on the couple relationship (Reimer et al., 2023).”
- Authors
- Reimer, A., Mause, L., Hoffmann, J., Hagemeier, A., Dresbach, T., Scholten, N., & Neo‐CamCare
- Affiliations
- University of Cologne (DE)
- University Hospital Bonn (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Reimer, Alinda
- Venue
- Acta Paediatrica
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2023-01-17
- Volume
- 112
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 762-769
- ISSN
- 0365-1436 (ISSN-L)
- 0803-5253
- 1651-2227
- OpenAlex
- W4315621372
- Cited by
- 3
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3
- FWCI
- 1.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- dx.doi.org
- Locations
- Acta Paediatrica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Keywords
- preterm birth, parental stress, maternal stress, paternal stress, neonatal intensive care unit, parental role change, infant behavior, gender differences in stress
- MeSH terms
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Fathers, Female, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Male, Mothers, Parents, Pregnancy, Retrospective Studies, Premature Birth
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