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Maternal scaffolding and preterm toddlers' visual-spatial processing and emerging working memory

Janean Dilworth-Bart1, Julie Poehlmann, Amy E Hilgendorf

  • 1University of Wisconsin, WI, USA. jedilworth@wisc.edu

Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|June 10, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Maternal scaffolding during toddler play impacts cognitive skills. Attention scaffolding supports verbal working memory, while socioeconomic risks are mediated by maternal scaffolding in preterm/low birthweight children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Pediatric Neuroscience
  • Early Childhood Education

Background:

  • Preterm and low birthweight (PT LBW) infants face risks impacting cognitive development.
  • Socioeconomic factors further influence developmental trajectories.
  • Maternal scaffolding behaviors are crucial for early cognitive skill acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate longitudinal links between neonatal/socioeconomic risks, maternal scaffolding, and cognitive outcomes in PT LBW toddlers.
  • To explore the mediating role of maternal scaffolding in the relationship between risk factors and cognitive development.
  • To identify specific scaffolding behaviors associated with visual-spatial processing and working memory.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 73 PT LBW toddlers.
  • Collection of neonatal and socioeconomic risk data at hospital discharge.
  • Observation of dyadic play interactions at 16 months postterm.
  • Assessment of visual-spatial processing and working memory at 24 months postterm.

Main Results:

  • Maternal attention scaffolding positively correlated with 24-month verbal working memory.
  • Maternal emotion scaffolding negatively correlated with 24-month verbal working memory.
  • Maternal attention and emotion scaffolding mediated the association between socioeconomic risk and verbal working memory.

Conclusions:

  • Maternal scaffolding behaviors are key mediators of cognitive development in PT LBW toddlers.
  • Targeted interventions focusing on maternal scaffolding may mitigate risks associated with PT LBW and socioeconomic disadvantage.
  • Further research is needed to refine interventions for this vulnerable population.
Abstract

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