Parenting stress in mothers after very preterm birth and the effect of the Infant Behavioural Assessment and Intervention Program D. E. Meijssen,* M. J. Wolf,† K. Koldewijn,† A. G. van Wassenaer,‡ J. H. Kok‡ and A. L. van Baar§ *Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg †Department of Rehabilitation, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam ‡Department of Neonatology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, and §Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands Accepted for publication 20 April 2010 Keywords early intervention, mothers, parenting stress, prematurity Correspondence: Dominique E. Meijssen, AMC, Department of Rehabilitation (A01-426), PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, the Netherlands E-mail: d.e.meijssen@amc.uva.nl Abstract Objective Purpose of this study was to examine maternal parenting stress as a secondary outcome of the Infant Behavioural Assessment and Intervention Program (IBAIP). Methods In a randomized controlled trial 86 very preterm infants and their parents were assigned to the intervention group and 90 to the control group. Maternal parenting stress was assessed with the Dutch version of the Parenting Stress Index at 12 and 24 months post term. Results Mothers in the intervention group mothers assessed their infants as happier and less hyperactive/distractible compared with the control group mothers. However, mothers in the intervention group reported more feelings of social isolation. Conclusions The IBAIP appears to have made mothers more satisfied about their infants’ mood and distractibility, but also may have evoked more feelings of social isolation. Next to long-term evaluation of the development in very preterm born children, follow-up on functioning of their parents is important. Introduction Parenting stress is caused by a mismatch between the per- ceived demands of parenting and the resources available to meet those demands (Abidin 1995). Increased parenting stress is a risk factor for maladaptive parenting (Kazdin & Whitley 2003), as well as higher levels of child disruptive behaviour problems (Barry et al. 2005). Parent as well as child character- istics influence parenting stress in complex ways. Risk factors are single parenthood (Ricciuti 2004; Williford et al. 2007), parental psychopathology (Misri et al. 2006; Sheinkopf et al. 2006; Williford et al. 2007), difficult temperament (Ostberg & Hagekull 2000) and regulation difficulties of the child (Calkins & House 2004). The demands of parenting a young child could be especially stressful for parents if the child is born very preterm, which results in an increased risk for morbidity and potential devel- opmental delay (de Kleine et al. 2007). Reports on the impact of preterm birth on parenting stress are inconsistent. Some studies report more parenting stress in mothers of high-risk very low birthweight infants (Singer et al. 1999, 2007; Taylor et al. 2001; Auslander et al. 2003; Drotar et al. 2006). Other studies find similar levels of parenting stress in parents of term or preterm infants (Saigal et al. 2000; Candelaria et al. 2006). Intervention programmes focused upon improving preterm infants’ devel- opment, could also affect parenting stress, either as a direct result from extra attention for the family and child, or through improvements in development of the children. A review on Child: care, health and development Original Article doi:10.1111/j.1365-2214.2010.01119.x © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd 1