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Parents' developmental perceptions and expectations for their high-risk infants
B T Rogers1, L J Booth, L C Duffy
1State University of New York, Buffalo.
Insights
Parental perceptions of high-risk infant development show moderate agreement with professional assessments, particularly for normal development. However, significant mismatches occur, indicating parental concerns shouldn't solely guide developmental screening.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Care
Background:
- High-risk infants require careful monitoring for developmental trajectories.
- Parental perceptions can influence or reflect infant well-being.
- Understanding the alignment between parental expectations and infant outcomes is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between parental perceptions and professional assessments of developmental outcomes in high-risk infants.
- To identify factors influencing discrepancies between parental and professional developmental evaluations.
- To evaluate the utility of parental concerns in developmental screening for high-risk populations.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 209 high-risk infants and their parents participated.
- Parents provided developmental interpretations and expectations prior to standardized assessments.
- Infant development was assessed by professionals for motor and language skills.
Main Results:
- Moderate correlations (p < .05 to p < .01) were observed between parental and professional assessments, especially for normal infant development.
- Discrepancies in developmental assessments were frequent across all domains.
- Mismatches were not linked to gestational age, neonatal issues, socioeconomic status, or parental experience.
Conclusions:
- While parental insights into infant development hold value, they do not consistently align with professional evaluations.
- Disagreements between parents and professionals are common and not explained by typical risk factors.
- Parental concerns should be acknowledged but cannot replace formal developmental screening for high-risk infants.
Abstract:
This study examines the relationship between developmental outcomes of high-risk infants and parental perceptions and expectations. Parents of 209 consecutive high-risk infants were asked to provide their development interpretations and expectations before their infants received standard developmental assessments between April and October 1989. Moderate correlations between parents and professional assessments of motor and language skills were noted (p less than .05 to p less than .01). Most agreements occurred when infants were assessed as normal by professionals. Disagreements were common and occurred in all areas of development. These mismatches were not associated with gestational age at birth, neonatal complications, poverty, or estimates of parental experience. Professionals should take seriously any expressed developmental concerns by parents of high-risk infants. Expressed developmental concerns, however, cannot be relied on for developmental screening of high-risk infants.