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Infants with "Colic"-mothers' perspectives on the crying problem
U Pauli-Pott1, K Becker, T Mertesacker
1Department of Medical Psychology, University of Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 36, D-35392, Giessen, Germany. Ursula.Pauli-Pott@psycho.med.uni-giessen.de
Journal of Psychosomatic Research
|March 17, 2000
Summary
Maternal perception of infant crying is key. Mothers experiencing heightened negative affect and rejection due to infant fussing later perceive their baby as having a difficult temperament.
Area of Science:
- Infant and Child Psychology
- Maternal Mental Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Infant crying is a common concern for parents.
- Excessive crying, often termed colic, can impact maternal well-being.
- Understanding the interplay between infant behavior and maternal response is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between infant crying/fussing and maternal attributions.
- To examine maternal emotional responses to infant crying.
- To assess the link between maternal perceptions and infant temperament.
Main Methods:
- Compared 20 mothers of infants with excessive crying (colic complaint group) to 20 control mothers.
- Utilized baby diaries, structured interviews, and temperament questionnaires.
- Subdivided the colic group using Wessel criteria for analysis.
Main Results:
- Mothers of infants not meeting Wessel criteria reported more negative affect and rejection.
- These mothers later perceived their infants as having higher negative emotionality.
- No significant differences in maternal affect/cognitions were found for infants meeting Wessel criteria compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Maternal perception and processing of infant crying are vital in colic cases.
- Focusing solely on infant characteristics is insufficient.
- Interventions should consider maternal psychological factors.