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Parents' perceptions of their neonates and their relation to infant development

C Hernández-Martínez1, J Canals Sans, J Fernández-Ballart

  • 1Psychology Department, Research Center for the Behavioural Assessment, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain. josefa.canals@urv.cat

Child: Care, Health and Development
|March 12, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Parental neonatal perceptions influence infant development. Fathers' positive perceptions correlate with better infant outcomes, highlighting the importance of paternal involvement in early childhood development.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Parent-Infant Relationships
  • Neonatal Studies

Background:

  • Parental perceptions of newborns significantly impact parent-child interactions and infant development.
  • Understanding the evolution of these perceptions is crucial for supporting healthy family dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the changes in mother and father perceptions of their neonates within the first month of life.
  • To determine if parental perceptions and maternal psychological factors predict infant development.

Main Methods:

  • Seventy-two mother-father-child triads were studied.
  • Maternal personality (neuroticism), depression, and anxiety were assessed.
  • Parental neonatal perceptions, neonatal behavior, and infant development were measured at multiple time points.

Main Results:

  • Initial parental perceptions were positive but declined within the first month, varying by infant gender.
  • Higher maternal neuroticism was linked to less favorable neonatal perceptions.
  • Stronger paternal perceptions predicted enhanced infant development at 12 months.

Conclusions:

  • Parental neonatal perception is a significant factor in infant development.
  • These findings underscore the crucial role of fathers in early parenting and child development.
  • Interventions could focus on enhancing positive paternal perceptions for improved child outcomes.
Abstract

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