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Infant behavior and maternal adaptations in the first six months of life
Diana Kronstadt1, Frank Oberklaid1, Thomas E Ferb1
1Brookline Early Education Project.
Insights
Infant temperament can change significantly between five weeks and six months. This finding suggests caution is needed when predicting infant temperament difficulties early on.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Mental Health
Background:
- Understanding infant temperament is crucial for early intervention.
- Maternal concern influences infant adjustment and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between infant temperament, maternal concern, and infant adjustment.
- To examine the stability of these variables during early infancy.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design.
- Assessment of infant temperament, maternal concern, and adjustment at three time points (5 weeks to 6 months).
Main Results:
- Infants identified with difficult temperaments showed considerable change over time.
- Temperament difficulties in infancy may not be stable predictors.
Conclusions:
- Prognostication of infant temperament requires caution due to observed variability.
- Findings have implications for the care and support of infants and families.
Abstract:
This study explored the relationship among infant temperament, maternal concern, and adjustment during early infancy, and the stability of these variables over time. Infants identified as difficult were found to change considerably across three time points (between five weeks and six months), suggesting the need for caution in prognostication with respect to temperament difficulties in infancy. Further implications for the care of young infants and their families are discussed.