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Objective: To prospectively assess parental health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its predictors after child open heart surgery. Study design: Mothers (n = 135) and fathers (n = 97) of 138 children were assessed at discharge from hospital and 6 months after open heart surgery of their child. Parental HRQoL was compared with population norms. Medical, demographic, and psychosocial predictors of HRQoL were examined. Results: In both parents, several domains of HRQoL were decreased at their child''s hospital discharge with mothers showing lower HRQoL than fathers. Mental domains were more affected than physical domains. At 6 months, parental HRQoL was within or above population norms. At discharge, symptoms of post-traumatic stress and at 6 months a high impact of the child''s disease on family life were associated with low mental HRQoL in both parents. In mothers, lower socioeconomic status and foreign nationality were also associated with a higher risk for low mental HRQoL at discharge. Conclusions: Parents'' mental HRQoL is low in the immediate period after their child''s open heart surgery but normalizes after 6 months. However, parents in whom the child''s disease has a high impact on their family life are at increased risk for persistent low mental HRQoL. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]