Premature babies are babies that are born four or more weeks before their expected birthday. In Manitoba, approximately 1400 babies are born prematurely every year. These babies are often sick after birth, for which they require admission to hospital and ongoing medical support.

They are also likely to develop health complications while in hospital and can face delays in their growth and development after discharge. Thus, having a premature baby can be very stressful and anxiety-provoking for parents.

Prolonged exposure to stress and anxiety after having a premature baby has the potential to cause mental illness among these parents. However, we currently know very little about their mental health. It is vital to recognize poor mental health, as it can negatively affect parents’ physical health and relationships and impair their children’s growth and development.

In this project, we aim to determine how prevalent mental health conditions (like depression and anxiety) are among parents of premature infants. We will use routinely collected anonymized data from the Province of Manitoba to study their mental health outcomes. The information obtained from this study will help health care professionals, policymakers and organizations to plan and provide appropriate mental health support to these parents.

Impaired mental health is a growing concern for Manitobans, and we believe this research will help improve mental health outcomes.