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Temperament in infants born prematurely
Insights
Premature infants show similar temperaments to full-term infants. This study found no significant differences in infant temperament dimensions between premature and full-term babies at 4-8 months corrected age.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Studies
- Infant Behavior
Background:
- Prematurity is often considered a risk factor for infant social interaction challenges.
- Understanding infant temperament is crucial for assessing developmental trajectories.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if prematurity influences infant temperament.
- To compare the temperament profiles of premature infants with those born at term.
Main Methods:
- The Infant Temperament Questionnaire was adapted for an Australian population.
- Mothers of premature infants (≤36 weeks gestation) and a control group of full-term infants completed the questionnaire.
- Temperament dimensions and maternal global ratings were analyzed.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in any of the nine temperament dimensions were found between premature and full-term infants.
- The distribution of "easy," "difficult," and "slow to warm up" infants was similar in both groups.
- Results were consistent even when analyzing infants with less than 33 weeks gestation.
Conclusions:
- Infants born prematurely exhibit similar temperament profiles to those born at term by 4 to 8 months corrected age.
- Prematurity does not appear to be a significant risk factor for altered infant temperament in this age range.
Abstract:
The temperament of infants born prematurely was studied to examine further the notion that prematurity may be a risk factor for an infant's subsequent social interaction. The Infant Temperament Questionnaire of Carey and McDevitt was revised and revalidated for an Australian population and sent to mothers of infants who had been born prematurely (36 weeks or less) and who were aged 4 to 8 months (corrected for prematurity). Two hundred and twenty-six questionnaires were distributed and 110 (49%) returned. There were no differences between respondents and nonrespondents with respect to gestational age, birth weight, method of delivery, Apgar scores, or perinatal complications. When compared to a control group (N = 240) of infants born at term and who came from families with similar demographic characteristics, infants born prematurely did not differ significantly on any of the nine temperament dimensions. Both groups had similar proportions of "easy," "difficult," and "slow to warm up" infants, and there were no significant differences in maternal global ratings of temperament between the two groups. Comparisons of infants of less than 33 weeks gestation gave results similar to those reported above. These data indicate that infants born prematurely have temperament profiles at 4 to 8 months similar to infants born at term.