Predictors of development in premature infants from low-income families: African Americans and Hispanics

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 17, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

L K Zahr1

  • 1School of Nursing, University of California at Los Angeles 90055, USA.

Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
|February 24, 2000
PubMed

Insights

Developmental factors for premature infants differ by ethnicity. Social and environmental influences, such as the home environment and maternal education, play a significant role in both motor and mental development for African American and Hispanic infants.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Premature infants from low socioeconomic backgrounds face unique developmental challenges.
  • Understanding ethnicity-specific factors is crucial for targeted interventions.
  • Early development is influenced by a complex interplay of medical, social, and environmental factors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify factors influencing motor and mental development in premature Latino and African American infants.
  • To explore the impact of perinatal, environmental, and demographic variables on infant development.
  • To differentiate developmental predictors based on ethnicity.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 41 low birth weight (LBW) African American and 82 LBW Hispanic infants.
  • Bayley Scales of Infant Development used to assess mental and motor skills at 8 months.
  • Multiple regression analysis correlating perinatal (birth weight, gestational age, hospitalization), environmental (home environment, social support, mother-infant interaction, maternal confidence), and demographic (income, education) variables.

Main Results:

  • For African American infants, motor development correlated with maternal education and hospitalization duration; mental development was predicted by the home environment.
  • For Hispanic infants, the home environment predicted motor scores, while mother-infant interaction predicted mental scores.
  • Results suggest ethnicity moderates the influence of various factors on infant development.

Conclusions:

  • Developmental trajectories for premature infants are ethnicity-dependent.
  • Social and environmental variables appear more predictive of development than medical factors in this population.
  • Tailored support strategies considering cultural and socioeconomic contexts are essential for optimizing infant development.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale19:15

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale

Published on: August 25, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Socioemotional Development during Infancy01:30

Socioemotional Development during Infancy

Socio-emotional development in infancy is primarily shaped by early emotional responses and social connections, with temperament playing a central role. Temperament refers to the consistent patterns in an individual's emotional and behavioral responses, observable even in infancy. By examining temperament, researchers can better understand an infant's unique ways of interacting with the world, influencing subsequent personality and socio-emotional growth.
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Development of Human Microbiota01:30

Development of Human Microbiota

The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
Perceiving Language Sounds and Structure During Infancy01:20

Perceiving Language Sounds and Structure During Infancy

Infants are born with a predisposition to perceive and categorize basic linguistic sounds. Early in development, they can discriminate sounds from many languages and detect differences in rhythm and pattern. This sensitivity may begin before birth. Newborns exposed to two languages prenatally can recognize both, indicating that fetal language exposure influences later auditory discrimination.Recognition of Familiar SoundsBy five months, infants show preferences for familiar auditory stimuli,...
Principles of Development01:31

Principles of Development

Physical development during the prenatal period and early childhood follows two major directional principles: cephalocaudal and proximodistal development. These general patterns happen simultaneously and help explain changes in body proportions and the gradual development of motor skills.Cephalocaudal DevelopmentThe cephalocaudal principle describes development from the head downward toward the lower body. During prenatal development, the head and brain structures develop rapidly before many...