Mother-, father-, and examiner--reported temperament across the first year of life

The Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale (BNAS) was administered to 19 newborns, and their fathers completed the Broussard Neonatal Perception Inventory (NPl-l); at 1 year of age, the infants' fathers and mothers completed the Perception of Baby Temperament (PBT) scale. The 19 infants were first born, full-term, and the result of normal, vaginal deliveries. Relationships were found between examiner-reported temperament (BNAS) and both father- and mother-reported temperament at 1 year (PBT). Fathers were sensitive to the physical dimension of temperament and mothers were sensitive to the adaptive dimension. Three father-reported newborns behaviors (NPl-l) were related to father-reported temperament at 1 year (PBT). Little relationship between father- and mother-reported temperament (PBT) was found when infants were 1 year of age. Findings can be used to plan future research on newborn behavior, parental characteristics, and parental perceptions of 1-year-olds' temperaments.