Factors associated with parents' and professionals' perceptions of infants in an early intervention program

Mothers and regular intervention home visitors rated temperament characteristics of 39 high risk or developmentally delayed infants (approximately 9 months corrected age). Mothers who reported greater depression rated their infants as less optimal on several temperament dimensions. Similarly, mothers who were single, less educated, or had infants showing greater developmental delay, described their infants' temperament as less satisfactory than did other mothers. These maternal variables also correlated with home visitors' ratings of infant temperament, although the number of significant correlates was fewer. Discrepancies between parent and professional reports were examined. Mothers of infants showing poorer development rated their infants more positively on activity and rhythmicity than did professionals. Higher educated mothers also tended to report higher activity levels for their infants than did the home visitors. Infant activity, as rated by home visitors, is highly correlated with infant's developmental status. Perhaps mothers of poorly developing infants and those with greater education overestimate infant activity because they have relatively greater difficulty accepting the extent of their infants' functional limitations.