Naissance prématurée et lien mère-enfant: Attachement de l'enfant, état de stress post-traumatique maternel

Abstract

Recent many studies have shown that premature birth is frequently associated with particular psychological consequences for both children and parents necessitating early intervention. The objective of the present study is to examine maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and maternal representation of child attachment in a population of two years old children born prematurely. Subjects include 38 mothers of premature children who were matched with an equivalent group of mothers of children born at term. All mothers filled the Waters and Deane, 1985 Attachment Q-set, brief version of Strayer, examining children's attachment behavior as well as the perinatal Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire identifying symptoms of maternal post-traumatic stress. Results confirm the link between the experience of premature birth and maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms when children were two years old. All mothers presenting symptoms of post-traumatic stress were mothers of premature children. Examining the typology of mothers' repre-sentation of attachment as a function of child's birth status reveals that mothers of prematurely born children describe their offspring as less exploring, as being more socially sensitive and less autonomous than children born at term. Results also indicate a link between post-traumatic stress symptoms and children's attachment. Increases in reported maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with mothers considering their child as significantly more sensitive.