A person-process-context study of the quality of interactions between the teenage mother and her baby

Abstract

Objective: To understand the transmission mechanisms of psychosocial difficulties prompted by teenage mother and baby interactions. The hypothesis is that the quality of the mother-child exchanges relies on linked with the characteristics of the mother, such as being abused and poor preparation for motherhood, as well as the characteristics of the child. Method: Direct observation of the quality of exchanges between 97 primipara adolescents and their four month old babies. The teens were 13-18 years old, in the 26 th week of pregnancy, from four homes run by the Youth Center in Montréal and Rosalie-Jetté School. They completed questionnaires on their preparation for motherhood and histories of emotional abuse. Results: The lack of knowledge (during pregnancy) on the development and types of care needed by babies is linked with insensitive maternal exchanges with the four month old child. An interactive effect was seen between the characteristics of the mother and baby. Conclusion: The interaction between the characteristics of the mother and her baby may trigger a negative feedback cycle that will hamper harmonious interpersonal relationships to an increasing extent over time, noted most frequently when the partners react to adversity, being less able to soothe the exchanges.