Maternal and paternal infant representations: a comparison between parents of term and preterm infants

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Perinatal Mental Health
• Attachment Theory

Background:

• Parental attachment representations are crucial for child development.
• Limited research exists on parental attachment after preterm birth.
• This study is the first to compare maternal and paternal attachment representations across term, moderate, and very preterm births.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare maternal and paternal attachment representations in parents of term, moderately preterm, and very preterm infants.
• To investigate disrupted attachment representations in parents of preterm infants.
• To identify gender-specific patterns in non-balanced and disrupted attachment representations.

Main Methods:

• Mothers and fathers of 71 term, 62 moderately preterm, and 56 very preterm infants participated.
• Attachment representations (balanced, disengaged, distorted) were assessed using the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI).
• The WMCI was extended with a disrupted scale (WMCI-D) to evaluate disrupted representations.

Main Results:

• Preterm birth did not significantly affect the main classifications of attachment representations.
• No gender differences were observed in balanced representations.
• Maternal representations were more often distorted, paternal representations more often disengaged.
• Maternal disrupted representations involved role/boundary confusion; paternal disrupted representations involved withdrawal.

Conclusions:

• Gender differences in attachment representations necessitate tailored interventions.
• Interventions should address non-balanced and disrupted attachment representations.
• Understanding specific parental attachment patterns is key for effective support.