The purpose of this study was to contribute to neonatal nursing and maternal nursing to reduce parental role stress in mothers of preterm babies and to improve perception of the newborn to by the parents. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires which were consisted of a parental role stress scale and a neonatal perception inventory. The subjects were 100 mothers of fullterm babies and 50 mothers of preterm babies, all in the early postpartum stage and admitted to three hospitals I the Kyoung-In area between November 8 1997 and May 30, 1998. The data were analyzed by a SPSS program and the results are as follows : 1. There were no significantly differences in the means for parental role stress between mothers of fullterm babies and preterm babies. The mean for perception of the newborn was significantly lower in mothers of preterm babies than in mothers of fullterm babies. 2. In mothers of preterm babies, the level of parental role stress was correlated to the one minute Apgar score. The level of perception of the newborn was correlated to gestational age and birth weight. 3. The mothers of preterm babies whose education level was above graduation from college had lower parental role stress than those who had a lowers level of education. The mothers who had experienced cesarean section had higher parental role stress than those who gave birth to their baby prematurely. The above findings indicate that mothers of preterm babies had lower perception of the newborn than mothers of fullterm babies. Therefore, nursing intervention should be provided for mothers of preterm babies to manage parental role stress and improve perception of the newborn.