• Susan E Waisbren, Michelle Rones, Catherine Y Read, Deborah Marsden, and Harvey L Levy.
• Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Inborn Errors of Metabolism Clinic, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA. susan.waisbren@childrens.harvard.edu
• J Pediatr Psychol. 2004 Oct 1;29(7):565-70.

ObjectiveTo examine predictors of parenting stress in parents whose children were diagnosed with a biochemical genetic disorder clinically or through newborn screening.MethodsParents of 263 children with biochemical genetic disorders (139 identified by newborn screening, 124 identified clinically) completed interviews focused on child health, medical service use, satisfaction with services, parenting stress, and family functioning.ResultsMultiple regression analyses suggested that child adaptive functioning, parental satisfaction with support, and difficulties parents experienced meeting their child's health care needs were associated with scores on the Parenting Stress Index (R2 =.51).ConclusionsInitiatives to improve child adaptive functioning and parental support as well as practical assistance to help parents meet their child's health needs may reduce parental stress and family disruption in this population.

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