Major neonatal surgery: psychosocial consequence of the patient and mothers

• Published in: Journal of pediatric surgery 2016-03, Vol.51 (3), p.364-367
• Main Authors: Kubota, Akio, Yamakawa, Sakiko, Yamamoto, Etsuyo, Kosugi, Megumi, Hirano, Shinya, Shiraishi, Jun, Kitajima, Hiroyuki, Yoneda, Akihiro, Taduke, Yuko, Mitani, Yasuyuki, Watanabe, Takashi, Takifuji, Katsunari, Yamaue, Hiroki
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - psychology; Infant, Newborn, Diseases - surgery; Long term follow-up; Male; Mothers - psychology; Neonatal surgery; Pediatrics; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychosocial consequence; Quality of Life; Risk Factors; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - etiology; Surgery
• ISSN: 0022-3468; 1531-5037
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2015.09.017

Abstract Purpose Our previous studies of long-term QOL after major neonatal surgery revealed an unexpectedly high incidence of mental retardation as well as emotional and psychosocial problems, and the patients’ QOL correlated with maternal QOL and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The main purpose of this study was to clarify the risk factors affecting long-standing maternal PTSD. Materials and Methods Sixty-eight patients, aged between 6 and 17 years, and their mothers were enrolled in this study. The underlying diseases included congenital diaphragmatic hernia in 21, anorectal anomalies in 25 and esophageal atresia in 22. Psychoanalysts carried out intelligence tests, the Child Behavior Checklist and QOL evaluation in the patients. QOL was evaluated with WHOQOL26 and PTSD with IES-R questionnaires in their mothers. The mothers were divided into two groups; low- and high-risk groups according to PTSD score. Results Patient QOL scores correlated positively with maternal QOL (p < 0.05) and negatively with maternal PTSD scores (p < 0.05). There were significant differences in total number of hospital admissions (p < 0.05), feeling of economic burden (p < 0.05), and satisfaction with husband’s help (p < 0.01) between the two groups. Conclusion Risk factors for maternal PTSD include repeated hospitalization, a feeling of economic burden, and lack of satisfaction with husband’s help.