Impact of perinatal asphyxia on parental mental health and bonding with the infant: a questionnaire survey of Swiss parents

Objective To compare current mental health symptoms and infant bonding in parents whose infants survived perinatal asphyxia in the last 2 years with control parents and to investigate which sociodemographic, obstetric and neonatal variables correlated with parental mental health and infant bonding in the asphyxia group. Design Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of parents whose children were registered in the Swiss national Asphyxia and Cooling register and of control parents (Post-traumatic Diagnostic Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale). Results The response rate for the asphyxia group was 46.5%. Compared with controls, mothers and fathers in the asphyxia group had a higher frequency of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms (p r =0.31 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.54)) and fathers ( r =0.35 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.59)). For mothers, previous pregnancy was linked to poorer bonding ( r =0.41 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.63)). In fathers, therapeutic hypothermia of the infant was related to less frequent PTSD symptoms ( r =−0.37 (95% CI −0.61 to −0.06)) and past psychological difficulties ( r =0.37 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.60)) to more psychological distress. A lower Apgar score was linked to poorer bonding ( r =−0.38 (95% CI −0.64 to −0.05)). Conclusions Parents of infants hospitalised for perinatal asphyxia are more at risk of developing PTSD than control parents.