Perceived stress and positive and negative emotions in parents of preterm babies

The arrival of a new-born baby drastically changes the parents’ lives. Several authors have reached the conclusion that this vital event can even lead to a post-traumatic stress disorder. This fact is especially relevant when it comes to correctly coping with this situation. The role played by the emotions involved in this process as well as the stress suffered by parents experiencing such a change are recognized by previous studies. In this paper, we carried out a comparative study between the emotions and stressful situations experienced by preterm and term babies’ progenitors. The results show how the group of parents of preterm babies is more affected by stress and negative emotions. In this sense, the spectrum widens to an almost unprecedented relevant field in psychological research that allows us to see how the parents of premature children experience this circumstance.