Spina bifida parents suffer psych distress

NIJJMEGEN, Netherlands, Aug 24, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- A Radboud University study in The Netherlands suggests parents of children with spina bifida suffer from more psychological distress than other parents.

Ignace Vermaes and colleagues looked at 15 published research reports detailing the level of psychological distress of parents of children with SB, compared with that of parents of able-bodied children.

The scientists then conducted a statistical analysis of the data and found the presence of SB has a negative effect on parents' psychological adjustment -- the ability to cope with upsetting feelings aroused by the illness of the child.

The average amount of psychological distress was found to be higher among mothers of children with SB, as compared with fathers. This difference might reflect the division of tasks between partners; mothers tend to be the primary caregivers and are therefore more likely to be exposed to everyday care strains involved with SB, the researchers theorized.

Spina bifida is a very severe, and the second most common, congenital birth defect.

The findings appear in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics.