Maternal views of preterm infants' responsiveness to social interaction

Mothers of 47 very low birth weight ( < 1,500 gram) infants were interviewed concerning their feelings and views about interactions with them. Interviews were conducted within the first ten days and again three to five weeks after birth. Over the first month of the baby's hospitalization, mothers significantly increased their pleasure in interacting, knowledge of infant cues, and perception that their infants were responding. The most frequently mentioned behaviors were maternal talking and touching and infant eye opening and body activity. Many mothers appeared to be utilizing their infants' behaviors as a guide for their own behaviors and reported that their infants' behaviors had specific meanings. However, an equal number of mothers were not ascribing meaning to their infants' behaviors and did not appear to be using behavioral cues. These findings have implications for interventions by neonatal nurses.