Preterm infant development, maternal distress and sensitivity: The influence of severity of birth weight

Objective To evaluate the influence of the severity of prematurity based on birth weight on maternal distress and sensitivity and on infant development. Methods Sixty-eight mothers and their preterm babies (30 babies classified into Extremely-Low-Birth Weight-ELBW and 38 into Very-Low-Birth Weight-VLBW) were assessed at 9 months of infant corrected age, using: Griffiths Scales for infant development, CARE-Index for maternal sensitivity during 5-minute of mother-infant interaction, and Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) for maternal distress. Sixty-six healthy full-term infants (FT) and their mothers were assessed with the same procedure. Results ELBW, VLBW and FT groups showed similar levels at CARE-Index and PSI-SF. Nevertheless, considering infant development as outcome, a significant interaction between birth weight and maternal distress emerged, with higher Hearing & Language mean quotients in association with Non-Distressed mothers, but only in VLBW infants, compared to FT ones. Also the interaction between birth weight and maternal sensitivity influenced infant development: higher quotients (Eye-hand coordination, Hearing & Language, Locomotor) were significantly associated with sensitive mothers but only in ELBW infants. Conclusion The severity of prematurity, in interaction with the degree of maternal distress and sensitivity, influenced the level of infant development. Practical implications Taken together, these results suggest the relevance of considering severity of prematurity and maternal variables in order to implement appropriate interventions for supporting parenting role after a preterm birth and promoting an adequate infant development.