Attachment interaction behavior between young teenage mothers and their infants

Behavioral interaction between teenage mothers and their infants was explored. Twenty-six (low income level) Hispanic teenage mothers (mean age 15 years) and their infants (mean age 13.5 months) were compared with an older control group of 30 mothers (mean age 26 years) and their infants (mean age 14.0 months). Infant attachment, exploration, and stress-adaptation behaviors and maternal ability to contact, encourage, and comfort the infant were evaluated. Twenty-six percent of the control infants showed limited ability to cope with stress compared to 47% of infants of teenage mothers. Control mothers differed significantly from teenage mothers in effective eye, verbal, physical contact, and smiling behaviors. These findings suggest that limited teenage maternal behaviors may potentially have a negative psychologic effect for both infants and their young mothers.