Behavioral parenting intervention for parents of preschool-aged children born moderately and late preterm: An experimental study

Abstract

Background: Prematurity can be associated with difficulties in emotional and behavioral regulation in children, leading to short- and long-term impacts on parental dynamics. However, moderate-late preterm children and their parents rarely receive follow-up care.

Objectives: The aim of this current study was to evaluate a Behavioral Parenting Intervention (BPI) specifically developed for parents of preschool-aged moderate-late preterm children, to prevent their potential difficulties in emotional and behavioral regulation.

Method: Thirty-eight families participated in a program consisting of 7 therapy sessions. Each experimental group was matched with a control group; the control group would become the experimental group in the following session. Parents completed questionnaires one week before the start of the program (T1) and at the end of the 7th therapy session to measure immediate effects (T2). Social validity measures were also added to this study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of our program.

Results: We primarily observed positive effects on the Parental Stress Index total (PSI) in the population 1. For the control group, there was no significant difference between PSI Total scores at T1 (M=101.1, SD = 22.2) and T2 (M=101.5, SD = 19.8). In contrast, the experimental group showed a significant reduction in PSI total scores from T1 (M=105, SD = 23.2) to T2 (M=93.3, SD = 21.3), with p < .001. Similar effects were observed for both the Parent Distress and the Difficult Child subscales.

Conclusion: While our results are modest, the measures of social validity and our high satisfaction rates indicate the importance and necessity of a parenting intervention aimed at moderately preterm children beyond the initial phase of early development. Future research should aim to facilitate access and increase family engagement to improve the effectiveness of this type of intervention.

Keywords: Externalizing behaviors; Late prematurity; Moderate prematurity; Parental intervention; Prevention.