Stress in mothers and fathers of children with obstetrical brachial plexus injuries

The stress load of 26 pairs of parents of children with obstetrical brachial plexus injuries (OBPI) was examined. Parents completed self-reports of condition-related stress, global stress, and psychological distress as well as medical and demographic questions. No significant differences were found between mean scores for mothers and fathers. Strong correlations were found between all study variables for mothers. Only global stress was related to psychological distress for fathers. Differences in the pattern of inter-relationships between maternal and paternal disability-related stress, global stress, and psychological distress should be taken into account when developing interventions to support families of children with OBPI.