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Social interaction and developmental competence of preterm and full-term infants during the first year of life
Insights
Mothers and preterm infants show lasting differences in interaction, impacting development. Preterm infants also exhibit developmental delays compared to full-term infants throughout the first year.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neonatal Research
- Family Studies
Background:
- Previous research indicates early differences in mother-preterm infant interactions.
- Understanding the long-term trajectory of these interactions is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine psychosocial functioning, infant development, and mother-infant interactions in preterm and full-term pairs.
- To identify persistent differences in interactive behaviors and their developmental impact.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 37 mother-preterm and 42 mother-full-term infant pairs.
- Assessments at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months post-discharge.
- Methods included interviews, developmental assessments, and observed mother-infant interactions.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in maternal and preterm infant interactive behavior persisted across the first year.
- Preterm infants showed significantly lower cognitive and language development scores (corrected for gestational age).
Conclusions:
- Interactive differences between mothers and preterm infants are sustained throughout the first year.
- These persistent interactive differences may influence the mother-infant relationship and infant developmental outcomes.
Abstract:
37 mother-preterm and 42 mother-full-term infant pairs were assessed at 1, 4, 8, and 12 months following hospital discharge. The psychosocial functioning of the families was assessed at 1 and 8 months by interview, infants received developmental assessments at 4 and 12 months, and mother-infant interactions were observed in unstructured and semistructured situations at 4, 8, and 12 months. Significant differences were found in both mothers' and preterm infants' interactive behavior across the first year of life, extending the findings of previous research that had noted differences during early infancy. Additionally, preterms performed significantly below full-terms on measures of cognitive and language development corrected for gestational age. Results are discussed in terms of the persistence of interactive differences in mother-preterm pairs and the possible effects on their relationship and infant developmental outcome.