The study was aimed at exploring the association between parenting distress, maternal perception of infant temperament and level of infant development when a preterm birth occurs. At 3 months of corrected age, 78 preterm infants and their mothers were compared with 73 term infants, using: Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF); Italian Questionnaires of Temperament (QUIT; 1-12 months); Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS; 0-2 years). Results showed that preterm infants’ mothers showed higher level of distress and perceived their infants as more difficult. Moreover, in GMDS preterm infants reported lower scores in Hearing-Language, Performance and General Quotients compared to full term ones. Significant predictors of higher maternal distress were preterm birth, lower infant Locomotor and Personal-Social development and perception of lower Positive Emotionality, higher Negative Emotionality. Preterm birth has a deeply stressful impact that can be exacerbated by the perception of the disparity between the demands of neonatal care and resources available.
Monti Fiorella, Neri Erica, Trombini Elena, Aureliano Francesca, Biasini Augusto, Agostini Francesca (2013). Prematurity: parental stress, temperament and child development. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, 1(3), 139-153 [10.1989/ejpad.v1i3.11].
Prematurity: parental stress, temperament and child development
MONTI, FIORELLA;NERI, ERICA;TROMBINI, ELENA;AGOSTINI, FRANCESCA
2013
Abstract
The study was aimed at exploring the association between parenting distress, maternal perception of infant temperament and level of infant development when a preterm birth occurs. At 3 months of corrected age, 78 preterm infants and their mothers were compared with 73 term infants, using: Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF); Italian Questionnaires of Temperament (QUIT; 1-12 months); Griffiths Mental Development Scales (GMDS; 0-2 years). Results showed that preterm infants’ mothers showed higher level of distress and perceived their infants as more difficult. Moreover, in GMDS preterm infants reported lower scores in Hearing-Language, Performance and General Quotients compared to full term ones. Significant predictors of higher maternal distress were preterm birth, lower infant Locomotor and Personal-Social development and perception of lower Positive Emotionality, higher Negative Emotionality. Preterm birth has a deeply stressful impact that can be exacerbated by the perception of the disparity between the demands of neonatal care and resources available.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
