Parenting preterm infants: Influence of parental gender and dyadic sensitivity on infants’ cognitive and interactive development

Introduction: Preterm birth represents a traumatic event that can affect the quality of early parent-infant interaction. However, many studies focus on mothers, while the role of fathers has not been adequately investigated. Because low levels of sensitivity shown during parent-infant interaction are probably related to the infant’s mental and overall development, the topic needs further investigation, especially in a high-risk population of preterm infants’ parents. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether parents’ gender and their dyadic sensitivity were significantly associated with infants’ cognitive and interactive development. Method: The study involved 99 parents of preterms (58 mothers, 41 fathers). At three months of the infants’ corrected age, four minutes of play interaction were recorded and coded, in order to codify levels of sensitivity. Levels of infant development were assessed by mental development scales. Results: A significant relation between parents’ gender and their dyadic sensitivity emerged. Infants of non-sensitive parents, compared to those of sensitive parents, had significantly lower mean scores on the cooperative scale, and higher scores on the passive scale during interaction, and also lower development scores at personal-social quotients. Conclusion: The results underline that preterm birth may influence parental sensitivity, with a higher risk of impairment of infants’ cognitive and interactive development. These factors should be considered important in the care of preterms’ families.