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Parental Coping, Representations, and Interactions with Their Infants at High Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Silja Berg Kårstad1,2, Åse Bjørseth1, Johanna Lindstedt3

  • 1Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare (RKBU Central Norway), Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7130 Trondheim, Norway.

Journal of Clinical Medicine
|January 8, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Parents in an early intervention program for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) generally had balanced views of their child. However, many experienced stress, anxiety, or depression, impacting parent-infant interactions.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Pediatric Health

Background:

  • Early intervention is crucial for infants at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP).
  • Understanding parental coping, representations, and interactions is vital for effective support.
  • The Small Step program in Norway targets infants at high risk for CP.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe parental coping, representations, and parent-infant interactions within the Small Step early intervention program.
  • To identify parental psychological well-being and relational dynamics in families with high-risk infants.
  • To inform the development of family-centered interventions for early childhood development.

Main Methods:

  • Included 11 infants (mean age 4.8 months) and 19 parents (10 mothers, 9 fathers).
  • Assessed parental coping using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
  • Evaluated parental representations with the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI) and parent-infant interactions via the Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA).

Main Results:

  • Parental PSI-SF and HADS scores were mostly within normal ranges.
  • However, elevated symptoms of stress (26.7%), anxiety (52.6%), and depression (31.6%) were noted in parents.
  • Most parents (73.7%) demonstrated balanced representations of their child; however, parent-infant interactions showed areas of concern, particularly in mutuality and reciprocity.

Conclusions:

  • While most parents had balanced representations, a significant proportion experienced mental health challenges.
  • Parent-infant interaction, especially dyadic mutuality, requires attention within early intervention programs.
  • Findings support the development of more comprehensive, family-centered approaches for infants at high risk of CP.

Keywords:
CPanxietydepressionfathersinfantparentsparent–infant interactionrepresentationsstress

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