Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Assessment and Evaluation of the High Risk Neonate: The NICU Network Neurobehavioral Scale
19:15

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

Published on: August 25, 2014

Does a triplet birth pose a special risk for infant development? Assessing cognitive development in relation to

Ruth Feldman1, Arthur I Eidelman

  • 1Department of Psychology and the Gonda Brain Sciences Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel, and Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. feldman@mail.biu.ac.il

Pediatrics
|February 3, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Triplet births pose a risk to infant cognitive development and the mother-infant relationship. Infants born in triplets showed cognitive delays, especially those with weight discordance, highlighting the challenges of sensitive mothering.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal development
  • Maternal-infant bonding
  • Multiple birth outcomes

Background:

  • Multiple births, including triplets, present unique challenges for infant development and maternal caregiving.
  • Previous research has not fully elucidated the specific risks associated with triplet births on cognitive competencies and mother-infant relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if triplet birth itself increases risks for infant cognitive development.
  • To assess the impact of triplet birth on the quality of the mother-infant relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Matched cohort study comparing 23 sets of triplets with 23 sets of twins and 23 singletons (n=138).
  • Exclusion of infants with significant perinatal complications.
  • Assessment of mother-infant interaction and infant cognitive development (Bayley II test) at 6, 12, and 24 months.

Main Results:

  • Mothers of triplets showed lower sensitivity, and triplet infants exhibited less social involvement compared to singletons and twins.
  • Triplet infants scored lower on the Bayley Mental Developmental Index at all assessment points.
  • Infants with significant weight discordance (>15%) within triplet sets had poorer cognitive skills and received lower maternal sensitivity scores.

Conclusions:

  • Triplet birth is associated with an increased risk of cognitive delays in early childhood.
  • Infants with weight discordance in triplet sets are at particularly high risk.
  • Challenges in providing sensitive maternal care to multiple infants simultaneously contribute to developmental risks.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Use of a Video Scoring Anchor for Rapid Serial Assessment of Social Communication in Toddlers09:16

Use of a Video Scoring Anchor for Rapid Serial Assessment of Social Communication in Toddlers

Published on: March 14, 2018

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit11:50

Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Published on: January 7, 2020

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...
Three Developmental Domains01:29

Three Developmental Domains

Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
Physical Development
Physical processes, also known as maturation, encompass the biological changes that occur across an individual's life. These changes begin with genetic inheritance and continue through various stages, including growth in height and weight,...
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
The Nativist Approach01:21

The Nativist Approach

The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to exist...
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience, such as differences...