Parents' view of parent-child relationship eight years after neonatal intensive care.

Eight years after neonatal intensive care, parents of 597 survivors indicated whether the initial illness and separation had had a long-term effect on their parent-child relationships. Forty percent felt there was an effect on the parent-child relationship, sixty percent did not. Neonatal, medical and social conditions, and the child's outcome (i.e., disabled or not) were variables analyzed to determine differences between the two groups of parents. Parents who felt an effect from the initial illness and separation had children who required supplemental oxygen significantly longer and were from significantly higher socioeconomic and education levels. Length of stay in neonatal intensive care and outcome were among the not significant variables.