Trajectory and determinants of family resilience in caregivers of preterm infants: A mixed-methods study.
Caihui Su, Dun Liu, Shanshan Xu and 3 others
PMID 41367600WHAT IT FOUND
Family resilience in caregivers of preterm infants followed a V-shaped pattern, dropping to its lowest point at three months before recovering by six months.
Resilience was linked to coping style, family functioning, and social support, not to the infant's gestational age or birth weight.
Key findings
01Family resilience scores fell after discharge and reached their lowest point at three months postpartum, then rose significantly by six months.
02Positive coping, family functioning, psychological resilience, and social support were associated with higher family resilience, while negative coping, farming occupation, and assisted reproduction were associated with lower resilience.
03Caregivers reported struggling with limited caregiving knowledge at home, including feeding difficulties and anxiety over common symptoms like spitting up and sleep disturbances.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted at a single tertiary hospital in one province of China, limiting generalizability to other cultural and healthcare settings. The follow-up period was short (6 months), so long-term trajectories of family resilience are unknown. There was a high dropout rate, with 64 of 266 participants lost to follow-up. The study exclusively recruited mothers as caregivers, excluding fathers and other family members from the resilience assessment. The convenience sampling method may have introduced selection bias. The Family Hardiness Index assessment did not account for changes in the NICU environment.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that an infant's gestational age or birth weight predicts family resilience. This study found no significant association between these clinical indicators and family resilience scores; instead, resilience was driven by psychosocial factors like coping style and social support.