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The effect of extremely preterm birth on attachment organization in late adolescence

A-L Hallin1, H Bengtsson, A S Frostell

  • 1Department of Psychology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. anne-li.hallin@psychology.se

Child: Care, Health and Development
|May 4, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Extremely preterm birth is linked to insecure attachment patterns in adolescents, persisting even after accounting for intelligence and socioeconomic factors. This highlights prematurity as a potential risk for psychopathology, requiring clinical attention.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neonatal Studies
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Previous research on preterm birth and infant attachment is limited.
  • Few studies have investigated extremely preterm infants.
  • Limited data exists on prematurity's long-term impact on childhood attachment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the impact of extreme preterm birth on attachment organization in adolescents.
  • To assess attachment security in individuals born extremely preterm compared to full-term controls.

Main Methods:

  • Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) used for assessment.
  • 39 adolescents born extremely preterm were compared to 39 full-term controls.

Main Results:

  • Extremely preterm adolescents exhibited lower attachment security scores.
  • A higher prevalence of insecure dismissive attachment patterns was observed in the preterm group.
  • These differences remained significant after controlling for intelligence and socioeconomic status.

Conclusions:

  • Insecure attachment and extreme prematurity are identified as risk factors for psychopathology.
  • These findings underscore the need for careful monitoring in clinical follow-ups.
  • Further research is warranted to understand the long-term implications of early prematurity on attachment.
Abstract

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