Authors
- Lorena Martinović — Faculty of Health Studies, Department of Clinical Medical Sciences I
- Anja Šegulja Perić — University of Rijeka
- Silvije Šegulja — Faculty of Health Studies, Department of Clinical Medical Sciences I
Article type:
Original Scientific Paper
Abstract:
Introduction: Based on completed weeks of gestation, newborns can be born premature, full-term, and post-term. Childbirth itself is an intense experience, and premature delivery brings even more stress to the mother and the child. Preterm children are often born with a number of health conditions due to their insufficient intrauterine stay and are significantly associated with increased adverse outcomes compared with full-term children. Due to the various health conditions that can affect preterm children and the extra care they require in the months following delivery, mothers of premature children deal with a greater amount of stress than mothers of term children, which can affect their quality of life.
The aim of this study was to examine the quality of life of mothers of premature-born children and mothers of term children during the first year of their child’s life, as well as to identify the dimensions of the quality of life that were rated poorly for both groups.
Subjects and methods: The research was conducted online through the Health Status Questionnaire SF-36, which was used to assess the quality of life. A total of 303 mothers participated in the survey, of which 181 (60%) were mothers of preterm children and 122 (40%) were mothers of term children.
Results: No difference was found in the general quality of life among mothers of preterm and mothers of term children. However, a comparison of the average scores achieved on certain dimensions of health status showed that in the dimension of social functioning, mothers of premature-born children scored significantly lower compared to mothers of full-term children.
Conclusion: Mothers of premature-born children are less satisfied with social relations, participation in social activities, and perceived support during the first year of the child’s life in comparison to mothers of term children. Due to this, it is necessary to provide them with continuous psychosocial support.
Keywords:
quality of life; mother; preterm children; pretermbirth; full-term birth