The Impact of Baby’s Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip on Mother’s Mental Health: Preliminary Findings From a Prospective Study

Abstract

Evidence shows that parents of children with chronic illnesses are mentally stressed. Thus far, developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is unexplored in relation to its impact on mothers’ well-being. The study aimed at contributing to fill this gap by exploring mothers’ mental health facing infants’ DDH, at the diagnosis time and by the end of the treatment; possible moderators of changes over time were mothers’ hip worries, compliance to treatment, and severity of babies’ DDH. The sample included 60 mother-infant dyads, 33 of which followed longitudinally. Multiple mother- and clinician-reported measures were administered. Multilevel models showed that the mothers’ psychological condition remained stable over time. The mothers’ hip worries, compliance to treatment, and severity of babies’ DDH did not moderate mothers’ mental health over time but were significant independent predictors of it. Our findings might have relevant clinical implications, for medical staff who deals with mothers and infants’ DDH.