Parenthood after severely endangered pregnancy and delivery of a prematurely born child: An interview study with fathers and mothers

Abstract This study aims to gain insight into the development of parenthood six months after delivery of a preterm infant due to the mother’s preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. In this qualitative interview study, we conducted individual interviews with the Working Model of the Child Interview to tap into the subjective experiences of parents who went through preterm delivery due to preeclampsia or HELLP. The interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. From February up to and including December 2017, parental couples were included of whom the mother had suffered from severe preeclampsia or HELLP, and whose child had been born at a gestational age of less than 32 weeks. Parents also filled out a depression, an anxiety and a bonding questionnaire. Five parental couples, five fathers and five mothers, were interviewed. Many statements made clear that these parents are undergoing a distinctive development. Fear of losing the baby was still central to all parents and they were afraid of being a parent or forming a loving bond. Importantly, both fathers and mothers described loss of control, recurring memories and catastrophic fears. Psychological support should help parents regulate the shock, process traumatic experiences and integrate the frightening life event into parenthood development. Therefore, proper monitoring of parenthood development is necessary to detect problems, intervene and prevent adverse consequences.