Moody Blues:Affect interpretation of infant facial expressions and negative affect in mothers of preterm and term infants

Preterm birth places infants at increased risk for adverse developmental outcomes, with selfand affect regulation problems among the most important impairments. However, few studies have empirically examined maternal interpretation of infant affect in mothers of pre- and term infants. The current study examines how negative affect of mothers of preterm and term infants is associated with their interpretation of infant facial expressions. One hundred and sixty-eight mothers with their infants (64 term and 104 preterm) participated. Seven days after birth, mothers completed the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL; Matthews, Jones, & Chamberlain, 1990) to assess maternal negative affect. During a home visit, six months after birth, mothers additionally completed a task developed to measure infant affect interpretation (Interpreting Facial Expressions of Emotions through Looking at Pictures task, IFEEL pictures task; Emde, Osofsky, & Butterfield, 1993). Mothers of preterm infants reported more negative affect than mothers of term infants. However, the relationship between infant birth status (i.e., term vs. preterm) and maternal interpretation of infant facial expressions was moderated by the mother's own negative affectivity. Surprisingly, particularly mothers of term infants who also reported high levels of negative affect were found to interpret infant affect significantly more negatively. Prematurity itself does not seem to be a dominant factor in determining maternal infant affect interpretation, though maternal psychological negative mood does. Both theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed

Longitudinal associations between maternal disrupted representations, maternal interactive behavior and infant attachment: A comparison between full-term and preterm dyads

This prospective study examined whether or not a mother’s representations of her infant were more often disrupted after premature childbirth. Furthermore, the study examined if different components of maternal interactive behavior mediated the relation between maternal disrupted representations and infant attachment. The participants were mothers of full-term (n = 75), moderately preterm (n = 68) and very preterm infants (n = 67). Maternal representations were assessed by the Working Model of the Child Interview at 6 months post-partum. Maternal interactive behavior was evaluated at 6 and 24 months post-partum, using the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Care Research Network mother–infant observation scales. Infant attachment was observed at 24 months post-partum and was coded by the Attachment Q-Set. The results reveal that a premature childbirth does not necessarily generate disrupted maternal representations of the infant. Furthermore, maternal interactive behavior appears to be an important mechanism through which maternal representations influence the development of infant attachment in full-term and preterm infants. Early assessment of maternal representations can identify mother–infant dyads at risk, in full-term and preterm samples. Keywords: Preterm birth, Maternal disrupted representations, Maternal interactive behavior, Infant attachmen

Parenting in complex conditions:Does preterm birth provide a context for the development of less optimal parental behavior?

Objective  To examine the predictive value of parent, infant, and contextual factors related to preterm childbirth for later parenting behaviors. Methods  Mothers (n = 217) and fathers (n = 204) of term, moderately preterm, and very preterm infants were interviewed 1 month postpartum using the Clinical Interview for Parents of high-risk infants (CLIP), to assess their experiences and perceptions related to the pregnancy, delivery, infant, hospitalization, support system, and their narratives. Their responses were factor analyzed and entered into prediction models of parental behaviors (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development observations) 6 months postpartum. Results  Preterm birth was associated with negative experiences and concerns in parents. Regression analyses revealed, however, that irrespective of preterm birth, negative and unrealistic parental perceptions predicted less sensitive, more intrusive, and more withdrawn behavior. Conclusions  Not prematurity per se, but particularly the presence of negative perceptions in parents, is predictive of difficulties in parent–infant interaction. The CLIP is a potentially useful instrument to identify families at risk. Keywords: CLIP interview, parent–infant interaction, parental perceptions, postpartum experiences, prematurity. Topic: father infant, premature labor perception postpartum period parenting behavior social support contextual factors premature birth parental perception narrative discours

Maternal and paternal infant representations:A comparison between parents of term and preterm infants

Objective: Research on parental attachment representations after preterm birth is limited and inconclusive. The present study is the first in which maternal and paternal attachment representations after term, moderately and very preterm birth are compared. In addition, special attention was directed toward disrupted attachment representations. Method: Mothers and fathers of term infants (>= 37 weeks of gestational age, n=71), moderately preterm infants (>= 32-37 weeks of gestational age, n = 62) and very preterm infants

From the father's point of view: How father's representations of the infant impact on father–infant interaction and infant development

Despite the knowledge that fathers uniquely contribute to the development of their infants, relatively few studies have focused on the father–infant relationship during early infancy. In the present longitudinal study we included 189 fathers and examined whether their early attachment representations of the infant predicted future quality of father–infant interaction. We also investigated whether these representations were related to the infant's development. Paternal attachment representations were assessed by the Working Model of Child Interview (WMCI) at 6 months post-partum and classified fathers' representations as ‘balanced’ or ‘unbalanced’ (disengaged or distorted). At 24 months, father–infant interaction was videotaped and analyzed by the NICHD coding scales. Further, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III) was administered to evaluate the infant's verbal development. Results revealed that fathers' early attachment representations of the infant predict the quality of future father–infant interaction, with balanced representations more strongly associated with more favorable behaviors in fathers and infants. In addition, paternal interactive behavior appears an important mechanism through which paternal representations influence the development of the infant. These results underline the importance of early identification of fathers with unbalanced attachment representations, and we therefore recommend that more attention should be directed to the quality of the early father–infant relationship in clinical settings. Keywords: Fathers, Representations, Father–infant interaction, Infant developmen

Child-rearing history and emotional bonding in parents of preterm and full-term infants

Some parents fail to develop strong emotional bonds with their newborn infants. As the quality of the parent–infant relationship contributes to the infant’s development, it is of great importance to identify protective and risk factors that facilitate or impede the development of the parent–infant bond. The present study examined both infant-related and parent-related factors. We investigated whether or not the infant’s gestational age at birth influenced the quality of the mother–infant and father–infant bond. In addition, we examined whether or not parents’ own child-rearing history predicts bonding with their newborn infant. Mothers and fathers of full-term infants (born >37 weeks of gestational age, n = 72), moderate preterm infants (born between 32 and 37 weeks of gestational age, n = 69) and very preterm infants (born <32 weeks of gestational age, n = 70) completed the Parental Bonding Instrument—assessing their own child-rearing history—and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire at two points in time—which examines the quality of the bond with their infant. Results reveal that mothers of preterm infants report higher feelings of bonding than mothers of full-term infants. For fathers, no differences were found between the gestational age groups. These findings are discussed in light of compensatory care theory and the supporting role of hospital staff. Furthermore, bonding with the infant was strongly influenced by parents’ perceptions of their own child-rearing history in both mothers and fathers of full-term and preterm infants. Clinicians working with parents of newborn infants should pay attention to parental recollections of their own upbringing during early screening in parents of full-term and preterm infants. Keywords: Mothers, Fathers, Emotional bonding, Preterm childbirth, Child-rearing histor