A recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that parents of preterm and low birth weight infants encounter significant economic and employment challenges. Led by Dr. Erin Von Klein, a neonatology fellow at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, the research highlights the tough decisions many parents must make regarding their jobs.
The study found that 30% of parents with very low birth weight babies (weighing less than 1,500 grams or 3.3 pounds) have altered their employment choices due to their child’s health needs and the ongoing care required after leaving the neonatal intensive care unit. This often means parents consider quitting their jobs, which can lead to changes in health insurance and resets their annual out-of-pocket expenses.
The economic impact also affects parents of babies with low birth weight (weighing between 1,500 and 2,499 grams or 3.3 to 5.5 pounds). About 20% of these parents have made job-related decisions based on their child’s health. In contrast, only 13.4% of parents with term babies reported similar job impacts related to their child’s health.
Dr. Von Klein, who has worked in the NICU during her residency and fellowship, emphasized how having a medically complex baby alters parents’ lives and identities as they navigate these new challenges.
“I observed many parents leaving their jobs, dropping out of graduate programs, or not finishing college after their child received a complex medical diagnosis. Often, people have children before they reach their economic peak. If their baby has ongoing medical issues, the parents can fall behind in their careers, affecting both their health and that of their children for years to come,” said Von Klein.
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