Utilization of NICU Infant Medical Indices to Classify Parental Risk for Stress and Family Burden

Introduction: This study was conducted to examine whether the parental report of objective infant medical indices (e.g., birth weight, length of stay) can be used to identify parents at risk for psychosocial sequelae. Methods: Parents (N=199) cohabitating with their partner and child who was discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) 6 months to 3 years prior to the administration of the study completed an online survey, which included parent-reported infant health, parenting stress, family burden, and family resources. Results: A hierarchical cluster analysis identified the following three clusters of parents at risk for stress and family burden as determined by infant medical severity and access to resources: lowest risk (n = 77), moderate risk (n = 68), and highest risk (n = 8). Discussion: This work highlights how a measure using parent-reported infant health severity, which was developed for this study, can be used to better understand family outcomes following NICU hospitalization.