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Published on: August 25, 2014

Caregiving behaviors and early cognitive development as related to ordinal position in preterm infants

S E Cohen, L Beckwith

    Child Development
    |March 1, 1977
    PubMed

    Insights

    Firstborn preterm infants receive more responsive care and stimulation from caregivers compared to later-born infants. This difference correlates with higher developmental scores in firstborns, impacting preterm infant development.

    Area of Science:

    • Developmental Psychology
    • Neonatal Care
    • Family Studies

    Background:

    • Preterm infants often face developmental challenges.
    • Sibling presence can influence infant caregiving dynamics.
    • Understanding early transactional differences is crucial for preterm infant outcomes.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate differences in caregiving transactions for preterm infants with and without siblings.
    • To compare the developmental trajectories of firstborn versus later-born preterm infants.
    • To analyze the impact of sibling presence on maternal responsiveness and stimulation.

    Main Methods:

    • Naturalistic home observations of 54 preterm infants and their caregivers at 1, 3, and 8 months of age.
    • Assessment of caregiving interactions, including responsiveness and stimulation.
    • Comparison of Gesell developmental scores between firstborn and later-born preterm infants.

    Main Results:

    • At 1 month, caregiving for firstborn and later-born preterm infants was similar.
    • By 3 and 8 months, firstborn preterm infants received significantly more responsive care and stimulation from mothers.
    • Firstborn preterm infants experienced more social transactions overall and achieved higher Gesell developmental scores.

    Conclusions:

    • Sibling presence influences caregiving dynamics for preterm infants by 3 months of age.
    • Firstborn preterm infants benefit from increased maternal responsiveness and stimulation, leading to better developmental outcomes.
    • Findings suggest that early social and interactive environments play a key role in preterm infant development.

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