Developmental trends and behavioral styles in very low birth weight infants

The purpose of this study was to gather information about the characteristics of the very low birth weight baby. Twenty-six infants were involved in the study. Their mean gestational age was 29 weeks; mean gestational age was 29 weeks; mean birthweight was 1,170 grams. At the time of the study, the chronological age when corrected for prematurity was 7.9 months. During a home visit, the Denver Developmental Screening Test, the Infant Temperament Questionnaire, and the Home Observation Measurement Evaluation Inventory were completed. Pearson product moment correlation, chi square, and t-tests were used to analyze the data. Of the infants, 42 percent were at risk for developmental delays when assessed at the corrected gestational age. The infants were significantly more difficult as measured by the Infant Temperament Questionnaire. There was a moderate relationship between difficultness and childrearing environments. The findings of this study suggested that very low birth weight infants have an increased risk for developmental delays and are apt to have difficult behavioral styles. There was a negative relationship between infants with difficult behavioral styles and maternal involvement and responsivity.