Preterm infant negative affectivity: the relation with severity of prematurity, parental depression and dyadic adjustment

Introduction Preterm birth, especially if severe, could negatively influence parents’ perception of their baby. Indeed, parents often report a difficult temperament, with high level of negative affectivity (NA). When parental perception of infant NA was investigated, most studies focused on mothers, and possible influences of their affective states. Conversely, paternal perceptions are less considered as far as the role of fathers’ or family variables. Aim To explore the parental perceptions of preterm infant NA in a family perspective, considering the possible contributing factor of birth weight (Extremely Low Birth Weight infants-ELBW, < 1000 gr.; Very Low Birth Weight-VLBW, 1000-1500 gr.), parental role (mothers; fathers), depressive symptoms, and couple satisfaction. Material and Methods The sample included 42 preterm infants (16 ELBW, 26 VLBW) and their parents (42 mothers, 42 fathers). At 12 months (corrected age), parents completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R): specifically, we considered NA factor, including Sadness, Distress to limitations, Fear, Falling reactivity subscales. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) were also administered to investigate parental depressive symptoms and quality of parental relationship, respectively. Results Analyses showed higher levels of NA in VLBW infants compared to ELBW ones (p<.001); conversely, no differences between mothers and fathers emerged. Hierarchical regression showed that infant NA was predicted: in step 1 by VLBW condition (β =.36; p <.001); in step 2 by own EPDS scores and their partners’ ones (β =.21, p <.05; β =.36, p <.005), even controlling for birth weight; in step 3 DAS scores did not show any effect, and only partner’s EPDS effect remained significant (β =.34, p <.005). Conclusions Findings showed that, in the context of prematurity, both individual and relational-level risk factors predicted infants’ affective regulation difficulties, suggesting the need for intervention at individual, dyadic, and family level.