Related Experiment Videos
Temperament and sleeping patterns in colicky infants during the first year of life
L Lehtonen1, T Korhonen, H Korvenranta
1Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Finland.
Insights
Mothers perceived colicky infants as more difficult, but objective temperament assessments showed no differences. This suggests infantile colic impacts the mother-infant relationship perception.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Infant Health
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Infantile colic is a common condition affecting infants.
- Maternal perception of infant temperament can influence the mother-infant relationship.
- Understanding the long-term effects of colic on infant temperament and behavior is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the temperament and sleeping patterns of colicky infants and non-colicky controls.
- To investigate the discrepancy between maternal perception and objective measures of infant temperament.
- To explore the potential influence of infantile colic on the mother-infant relationship.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study involving 59 colicky infants and 58 age-matched controls.
- Infant temperament assessed at 3 and 12 months using maternal reports and the Toddler Temperament Scale.
- Infant sleeping patterns assessed at 8 and 12 months.
Main Results:
- Mothers perceived colicky infants as more intense, less persistent, more distractible, and having a more negative mood at 3 months.
- At 12 months, mothers viewed colicky infants as more difficult, active, and less persistent compared to controls.
- The Toddler Temperament Scale revealed no significant differences in objective temperament between groups.
- No significant differences in sleeping patterns were found between colicky and control infants.
Conclusions:
- A notable discrepancy exists between mothers' subjective perception of colicky infants' temperament and objective assessments.
- Infantile colic may significantly influence the mother's perception of her infant's temperament and behavior.
- This perceived difference could impact the developing mother-infant relationship.
Abstract:
A prospective study of 59 colicky infants and 58 age-matched controls assessed infants' temperament at the ages of 3 and 12 months and their sleeping patterns at the ages of 8 and 12 months. At age 3 months, the mothers regarded the colicky infants as more intense in their reactions, less persistent, more distractible, and more negative in their mood. At age 12 months, mothers regarded 23% of the colicky infants to be more difficult than average compared to 5% of controls. The mothers regarded their colicky infants as more active and less persistent. However, the Toddler Temperament Scale showed no difference between the groups in any area of temperament. No significant difference was found between the two groups in sleeping patterns. The discrepancy between infants' actual temperament and mothers' general perception of temperament may reflect the influence of infantile colic on the mother-infant relationship.