The Development of the Mother-Infant Mutualistic Screening Scale
Emily Zimmerman1, Chantal Lau2
1Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Northeastern University, Boston, MA USA.
Journal of Pediatrics and Mother Care
|September 5, 2017
Summary
The Mother-Infant Mutualistic Screening Scale (MIMSS) reliably assesses reciprocal interactions between mothers and infants. This tool helps identify dyads needing support for optimal development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Maternal-Infant Interaction Research
- Clinical Assessment Tools
Background:
- Mother-infant dyad integrity is crucial for maternal behavior and infant development.
- Objective methods for monitoring mother-infant behavioral exchanges are currently limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the Mother-Infant Mutualistic Screening Scale (MIMSS) as a novel observational tool.
- To monitor reciprocal sensitivity and responsiveness between mothers and infants during mealtimes.
Main Methods:
- Assessed mother-infant interactions from videotaped feeding sessions in 27 dyads.
- Collected data at 6 and 12 months corrected age (CA).
- Defined four levels of MIMSS based on mutual responsiveness.
Main Results:
- High inter-rater (93%) and intra-rater (≥85%) reliability for MIMSS.
- Most dyads (78% at 6 months, 81% at 12 months CA) reached MIMSS Level IV (mutual responsiveness).
- No association found between MIMSS levels and infant growth parameters.
Conclusions:
- MIMSS is an easy-to-use tool with high reliability for assessing mother-infant interactions.
- MIMSS can assist health professionals in identifying dyads requiring support.
- The scale provides a framework for evaluating co-regulatory processes in various contexts.
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