Prematurity has no impact on the quality of parents' sleep 6 months after birth

Abstract

Aim: Due to the stress that is classically associated with the premature birth of a child, these parents may be prone to sleep disorders. The aim of this study was to compare sleep quality of preterm infants' parents with that of term infants' parents. Methods: Prospective observational cohort study conducted at the University Hospital of Brest between January 2019 and January 2021. The primary outcome criterion was the score obtained by the parents on the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 6 months after their child's birth. Each parent was recruited in the days following their child's birth and completed the PSQI online. Results: Overall, 316 parents were included. The median gestational age at birth was 34.3 (31.6–35.5) weeks in the preterm infant group and 39.7 (38.6–40.7) weeks in the term infant group. Of the 948 expected questionnaires, 771 were completed and collected. On average, 59% of the parents obtained a PSQI global score >5. Six months after birth, no differences were reported between parents of preterm and full-term infants. Conclusion: This study did not reveal any difference between sleep quality of preterm infants' parents and term infants' parents.