The Impact of Preterm Birth on Parents' Mental Health and the Role of Family-Centred Interventions: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Preterm birth is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as birth occurring before 37 weeks of gestation and represents one of the major public health concerns worldwide. Approximately 15 million newborns are affected annually. Following such a physically and emotionally traumatic event, most parents experience emotional distress and seek answers regarding the possible internal or external triggers. The main objective of this review is to analyze the current data regarding the impact of prematurity on parental mental health, as well as the types of interventions targeting parents. METHODS: This narrative review was conducted based on extensive research of full-text scientific articles published in the past 15 years, investigating the relationship between prematurity, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization, parental mental health, and proposed intervention strategies aimed at supporting families. RESULTS: Approximately 35% of mothers of preterm infants presented postpartum depression, 24% anxiety, and 15% PTSD. FCC interventions reduced stress levels and the intensity of depressive symptoms, while FICare showed stronger benefits, with additional improvements in parental mental health, parental self-efficacy, increased parental confidence, and amelioration of preterm infant parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Implementing FCC and FICare into daily neonatal care is essential for the prevention of parental mental health disorders and strengthening parenting capacity.