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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Electrophysiological Measurements and Analysis of Nociception in Human Infants
Published on: December 20, 2011
Relationship between mother-infant mutual dyadic responsiveness and premature infant development as measured by the
Rosemary C White-Traut1, Kristin M Rankin2, Joe Yoder3
1Department of Women, Children, and Family Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing, 845 South Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612, United States; Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Children's Corporate Center, P. O. Box 1997, MSC 140, Milwaukee, WI 53201-1997, United States.
Background:
The quality of mother-preterm infant interaction has been identified as a key factor in influencing the infant's later development and language acquisition. The relationship between mother-infant responsiveness and later development may be evident early in infancy, a time period which has been understudied.
Aim:
Describe the relationship between mother-infant mutual dyadic responsiveness and premature infant development.
Design:
This study employed a secondary analysis of data from the 6-week corrected age (CA) follow-up visit of the Hospital-Home Transition: Optimizing Prematures' Environment (H-HOPE) study, a randomized clinical trial testing the efficacy of a mother- and infant- focused intervention for improving outcomes among premature infants.
Subjects:
Premature infants born between 29 and 34 weeks gestational age and their mothers who had social-environmental risks.
Outcome Measures:
At 6-weeks corrected age, a play session was coded for the quality of mutual responsiveness (Dyadic Mutuality Code). Development was assessed via the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, 3rd edition.
Results:
Of 137 mother-infant dyads, high, medium and low mutual responsiveness was observed for 35.8%, 34.3% and 29.9%, respectively. Overall motor, language and cognitive scores were 115.8 (SD = 8.2), 108.0 (7.7) and 109.3 (7.9). Multivariable linear models showed infants in dyads with high versus low mutual responsiveness had higher scores on the motor (β = 3.07, p = 0.06) and language (β = 4.47, p = 0.006) scales.
Conclusion:
High mutual responsiveness in mother-premature infant dyads is associated with significantly better language development and marginally better motor development.
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