Maternal recollected anxiety and mother-infant interaction in preterm infants

Abstract

This study focused on the relationship between maternal recollected anxiety and the quality of mother-preterm infant interaction. In a observational study, 52 mothers and their preterm infants were videotaped at home in a standardized object-play interaction situation, at the infant's age of 6 months. Observations concentrated on different aspects of maternal behavior, including sensitive responsiveness, involvement, level of activity, and intrusiveness. Mothers were interviewed about their experiences during the period of neonatal intensive care and were, on the basis of their answers, divided into high-anxiety and low-anxiety mothers. In general, and independent of the infant's current interactive behavior and medical status, high-anxiety mothers were more intrusive and more active during interaction with their infants than were mothers who recalled little or no anxiety during the postnatal period.