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Temperamental Development among Preterm Born Children. An RCT Follow-Up Study
Inger Pauline Landsem1,2, Bjørn Helge Handegård2, Stein Erik Ulvund3
1Child & Adolescent Department, University Hospital of North Norway, 9019 Tromsø, Norway.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 29, 2020
Summary
Participation in the modified Mother-Infant Transaction Program (MITP-m) positively impacted preterm children's temperament. Parents reported lower negative emotionality and easier soothability in children who received MITP-m intervention.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatric Health
Background:
- Preterm birth presents unique challenges for child development and parental adjustment.
- Early interventions are crucial for mitigating long-term effects of prematurity.
- Parental perception of child temperament influences parent-child interactions and child outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the long-term effects of the modified Mother-Infant Transaction Program (MITP-m) on preterm children's temperament.
- To examine parental perceptions of child temperament from ages two to seven years.
- To compare temperament reports between children participating in MITP-m and those receiving usual care.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 146 preterm children.
- Intervention group received MITP-m; control group received usual follow-up care.
- Maternal and paternal reports of child temperament (negative emotionality, soothability, sociality, shyness, activity) collected at ages 2, 3, 5, and 7 years.
Main Results:
- Parents in the MITP-m group reported significantly lower levels of negative emotionality in their children compared to the control group.
- Maternal reports showed a stable difference in negative emotionality from ages two to seven.
- Paternal reports indicated an increasing difference in negative emotionality and perceived greater soothability in children within the MITP-m group.
Conclusions:
- MITP-m intervention is associated with improved child temperament in preterm children, specifically reduced negative emotionality and enhanced soothability.
- The program's benefits on temperament, particularly negative emotionality, are sustained over time.
- MITP-m appears to be an effective intervention for supporting positive developmental trajectories in preterm infants and their families.
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