Genre du bébé et trouble de la personnalité borderline maternel : quel impact sur l’interaction mère-bébé à 3 mois du postpartum ?

Background and aim

This research aims to study mother-infant interactions at 3 months postpartum using the Still Face Face-to-Face Paradigm comparing two groups, mothers with borderline personality disorder and controls. We hypothesized that dyadic interactions with mothers afflicted with the disorder would be significantly different from those without psychopathology, and that these differences would vary according to infant gender.

Methods

Nineteen dyads of mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder and 41 with control mothers were filmed using the Still Face Paradigm. Behaviors of both partners were studied using microanalytic coding with the Maternal and Infant Regulation Scoring System.

Results and conclusion

Our analysis shows that both partners react to the stress induced by the Still Face episode (the paradigm is divided in three phases, 2 minutes of spontaneous interaction face-to-face, 2 minutes of maternal Still Face per se, and 2 minutes of reuniting interactive play). Infants of mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder show less gaze focused on mother than their control counterparts; infant girls regulate themselves more than boys and mothers with psychopathology demonstrate more tactile stimulation of their infants (touch, tickle, etc.). Our research illustrates how different dyadic adaptive mechanisms exist according to maternal psychopathology and infant gender, and suggests that as early as 3 months postpartum, infants are already trying to adapt to maternal functioning and dysfunctional interactions through self-regulatory mechanisms. This begs for further research exploring as precisely as possible interactive mechanisms both early in life and in longitudinal studies.     

Parenting self-efficacy: Links with maternal depression,infant behaviour and adult attachment

Background

This study examined predictors of parenting self-efficacy (PSE) in a sample of first-time mothers during the first year after childbirth and evaluated the effect of a brief, intensive, mother–infant residential intervention on PSE and infant behaviour.

Methods

83 primiparous women with infants aged 0–12 months admitted to a residential parent–infant program participated in a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV diagnosis of depressive and anxiety disorders and completed questionnaires assessing psychological distress, adult attachment and childhood parenting experiences. During their residential stay, nurses recorded infant behaviour using 24-hour charts.

Results

Results showed PSE to be inversely correlated with maternal depression, maternal anxiety and attachment insecurity. Low levels of parental abuse during childhood, avoidant attachment, male infant gender and depressive symptom severity were found to predict low PSE. Major depression mediated the relation between attachment insecurity and PSE, but there were no links between PSE and infant behaviour. After the intervention, there was a significant improvement in PSE, with abusive parenting during childhood and depressive symptom severity being predictive of change.

Conclusions

This study highlights the links between maternal psychopathology and maternal background factors such as childhood parenting experiences and attachment style in the development of postnatal PSE. Directions for future research are discussed.     

Validation de la version française du Coding Interactive Behavior sur une population d’enfants à la naissance et à 2 mois

Objective

This paper presents the psychometric properties of a French adaptation of the Coding Interactive Behavior (CIB), a scale developed by Ruth Feldman and largely used to study mother–infant interaction.

Methods

The original manual has been translated in French and adapted to French terminology of concepts. Then Ruth Feldman controlled the translation with the help of a bilingual psychologist. The scale was administered to 74 clinical and non-clinical dyads recruited in an obstetric clinic, at birth and 2 months postpartum. Confirmatory factor analyses were employed to assess factorial structure using Cronbach's alpha. Inter-rater reliability was estimated with Interclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC).

Results

Inter-rater reliability of the training was good with a median ICC equal to 0.88. Confirmatory factor analyses supported a comparable latent factor structure as reported in the original CIB with α ranging from 0.67 to 0.96 at birth and 0.63 to 0.95 at 2 months. Inter-rater reliabilities at birth and 2 months were good with ICC ranging from 0.85 to 1 for each item.

Conclusion

The results indicate that the French version of CIB shares the same latent factor structure as its original counterpart and is a useful tool to assess early mother–infant interaction.     

Infant developmental outcomes following prenatal exposure to antidepressants,and maternal depressed mood and positive affect

Background

Prenatal exposure to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants has been associated with delays in early developmental milestones, but there remains uncertainty. Even among a subset of studies examining the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID), some have reported normal mental and psychomotor development while others have suggested a delay in motor development. Given an increasing number of infants exposed to SRIs, furthering our understanding of the possible developmental implications of SRI exposure in utero is critical.

Aims

To examine the effects of prenatal serotonin reuptake inhibitor exposure and maternal mood on infant developmental outcomes at 10 months of age.

Study design

Prospective study of mothers and their 10-month-old infants.

Subjects

We examined 31 mother–child pairs exposed prenatally to SRIs and 52 mother–child pairs who were nonexposed.

Outcome measure

The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (third edition) scores.

Results

Infants exposed prenatally to SRIs scored significantly lower than nonexposed infants on gross motor (P = 0.03), social–emotional (P = 0.04) and adaptive behavior (P = 0.05) subscales of the BSID-III, controlling for pre- and postnatal maternal depressed mood, smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy. No significant differences in any of the BSID-III subscales were observed between infants exposed and infants nonexposed to pre and postnatal maternal depressed mood (P > 0.05). Increased levels of maternal positive affect at 10 months predicted increased social–emotional scores (P = 0.03).

Conclusions

Infants prenatally exposed to SRIs score significantly lower on the gross motor, social–emotional and adaptive behavior subscales of the BSID-III, and this was not explained by underlying maternal depression.     

Dépressivité maternelle au post-partum et symptomatologie du bébé à trois mois : l’effet modérateur de l’alliance familiale et de la satisfaction conjugale

Mood disturbances are frequent in the perinatal period. Mothers may present a “subthreshold” depression or even a diagnosed postpartum depression. This “depressiveness” is related to parenting behavior disruptions, to mother–child relationship disturbances and as a consequence they hamper the behavioral, cognitive and affective development of the child. However, several factors may buffer the negative effect of maternal depressiveness. The study presented in this paper assesses to what extent family alliance and marital satisfaction moderate the link between maternal depressiveness and child development. Fifty-seven families took part to the study with a 3-month-old infant. Depressiveness in mothers was assessed through self-reported questionnaire and diagnosis interview. Family alliance was assessed in the Lausanne Trilogue Play. Marital satisfaction and child symptoms were assessed by mothers through questionnaires. Results show that (i) the level of depressiveness in our sample is consistent with the prevalence in the general population, (ii) there is a link between maternal depressiveness and child symptoms, (iii) these links are indeed moderated by marital satisfaction, as a buffering factor, and by family alliance, as an aggravating factor. These results show the necessity to take into account the relational context of the mother in order to understand to what condition maternal mood disturbances may affect the development of the child.     

La dépression chez les mères adolescentes : pour un repérage des situations de vulnérabilité

Introduction and objectives

Due to the high frequency and co-occurrence of vulnerabilities, mothers under 20 years are at higher risk of perinatal depression than adults mothers. We performed a review of the literature investigating the epidemiology of adolescents mothers’ depression, compared these data to adult mothers and listed associated factors, to develop a more preventive approach and specific follow-up.

Methods

The review is based on Pubmed and Sciencedirect research combining “adolescent” or “teenage” and “depression” as keywords.

Results

Seventeen international studies were included, evaluating both prenatal (6 studies) and postnatal (14 studies) depression with three different scales (CES-D, BDI, EPDS). Depression rate in adolescents mothers varies from 26 to 63% in the third trimester of pregnancy and from 26 to 61% in the first 3 months postpartum, with differences depending of studies designs, screening instruments and cut-offs. Depression rate declines with time, but still persists with a prevalence ranging from 21 to 32% at 4 to 5 years after delivery. Depression rate in adolescent mothers are globally twice higher than in adult mothers, both in prenatal and postnatal periods. Characteristics associated with adolescent mothers depression include sociodemographic factors (less education, low income), psychosocial factors (confidence, self-esteem), poor or inadequate social support and negative life events (violence exposure, history of abuse).

Conclusion

Perinatal depression in adolescent mothers is very high and can contribute negatively to child-mother interaction. It should be a priority to screen depression early during pregnancy and to offer appropriate support services during the first years of motherhood. Moreover, it could be of high interest to assess maternofoetal attachment during pregnancy using validated instruments combined with depression scales.     

The relation of infant attachment to attachment and cognitive and behavioural outcomes in early childhood

Background

In China, research on the relation of mother–infant attachment to children's development is scarce.

Aims

This study sought to investigate the relation of mother–infant attachment to attachment, cognitive and behavioural development in young children.

Study design

This study used a longitudinal study design.

Subjects

The subjects included healthy infants (n = 160) aged 12 to 18 months.

Outcome measures

Ainsworth's “Strange Situation Procedure” was used to evaluate mother–infant attachment types. The attachment Q-set (AQS) was used to evaluate the attachment between young children and their mothers. The Bayley scale of infant development-second edition (BSID-II) was used to evaluate cognitive developmental level in early childhood. Achenbach's child behaviour checklist (CBCL) for 2- to 3-year-olds was used to investigate behavioural problems.

Results

In total, 118 young children (73.8%) completed the follow-up; 89.7% of infants with secure attachment and 85.0% of infants with insecure attachment still demonstrated this type of attachment in early childhood (κ = 0.738, p < 0.05). Infants with insecure attachment collectively exhibited a significantly lower mental development index (MDI) in early childhood than did infants with secure attachment, especially the resistant type. In addition, resistant infants were reported to have greater social withdrawal, sleep problems and aggressive behaviour in early childhood.

Conclusion

There is a high consistency in attachment development from infancy to early childhood. Secure mother–infant attachment predicts a better cognitive and behavioural outcome; whereas insecure attachment, especially the resistant attachment, may lead to a lower cognitive level and greater behavioural problems in early childhood.     

Parenting stress in mothers of very preterm infants — Influence of development,temperament and maternal depression

Objective

To measure levels of parenting stress and postnatal depression in mothers of very preterm infants in comparison with mothers of infants born at term is the objective of this study. The study also aimed to explore factors associated with parenting stress in the mothers of the preterm infants.

Methods

One hundred and five mothers who delivered 124 babies at ≤ 30 weeks gestation were enrolled together with 105 term mothers who delivered 120 babies. At one year of age (corrected for prematurity for the preterm cohort), the mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index Short Form (PSI), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Short Temperament Scale for Toddlers. The infants had neurodevelopmental assessment. The preterm and term groups were compared.

Results

Questionnaires were completed by 101 of the preterm mothers and 98 of the term mothers. The mean PSI Total Stress score was significantly higher for the preterm mothers (70.28 vs 64.52, p = 0.022), with 19% of the preterm group and 9% of the term group having high scores (p = 0.038).There was no group difference on the EPDS or measures of temperament, with disability being greater in the preterm infants. For the preterm group, maternal depression and infant temperament were independent predictors of Total Stress scores on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

Parenting stress in mothers of preterm infants at one year of age is significantly greater than that found in mothers of term infants. For preterm mothers, symptoms of depression and infant temperament are independent risk factors for higher levels of parenting stress.     

Prendre soin du bébé et de sa famille : une expérience de recherche–action en périnatalité

Objective

Authors present a clinical research led in France (area Lorraine in the east of the country) where several towns are associated with children presenting severe language delay. This language delay appears to be linked to a low socioeconomic context. Public psychiatry hospital and services of maternal and child protection (medical and social service called “Protection maternelle et infantile” in France) are associated to contribute at better infant development using home based assessment and intervention by a clinical psychologist. Objective is to show that home observations can reduce language delay in this population.

Methods

Forty-nine families have been studied and have benefited of psychological accompaniment. This clinical group has been compared with a control group of 42 families living in the same area but without accompaniment. Each family in clinical group have benefited from 23 sessions of home observation from pregnancy to 24 months. Sessions began two months before birth and stopped at 48 months. Several tools are used: clinical scales evaluation; psychometric test for assessment of psychomotor skills, oral language; mother-infant interactions studied with video. Qualitative analysis of parents–infant interactions and statistic comparisons (clinical group vs. control group) are used to analyze the development of the children from birth to 48 months.

Results

Toddlers of clinical group that have benefited of home observation and care at home by clinician psychologist present at 2 years old less developmental language disorder and development of psychomotor skills is better than control group. This research led at family's home shows that the intervention of clinician psychologist permits the parents to take care spontaneously of the baby, this promotes play activities and narrative verbal exchange. This research suggests that prevention of severe language delay can be easily led with home based assessment and intervention. These first results indicate the prospects for the continuation of this action research of primary prevention.     

Twin birth: An additional risk factor for poorer quality maternal interactions with very preterm infants?

Background

Twin birth can be considered an additional risk factor for poor interactions between mothers and their very preterm (VP; < 32 weeks' gestation) infants.

Aims

To explore if mothers of (VP) twins experience higher levels of stress than mothers of singletons and if mother–twin infant dyads experience poorer quality interactions.

Method

Mothers of VP twin infants (N = 17) were closely matched to mothers of VP singleton infants (N = 17). Mother–infant interaction was assessed before discharge from hospital and during a home visit at three months corrected age using the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS). Mothers' responsiveness to their infants was assessed using the Responsivity subscale of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) and mothers completed the Parenting Stress Index short form (PSI-SF).

Results

Mothers of twins had significantly lower HOME responsiveness scores (median 9 vs. 10) at three months corrected age and were more likely to have total PSI-SF scores in the clinical range (> 90th percentile) compared to mothers of singletons (Fishers exact probability = 0.05). Twin infants had lower mean Total Child Domain NCATS scores than singletons both at discharge (9.07 vs. 11.33) and at three months corrected age (13.18 vs. 15.71) indicating they were less responsive communicators.

Conclusions

VP twins present a greater challenge than singletons as their mothers experience high levels of parenting stress. Although mothers appear to compensate for twin infants' poorer clarity of cues in a structured, one to one task, mothers of twins were less responsive than mothers of singletons in an unstructured setting.     

Maternal sensitivity moderates the impact of prenatal anxiety disorder on infant mental development

Background

Animal studies have shown that postnatal rearing style can modify the association between prenatal stress exposure and offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, little is known about how parenting quality impacts the association between maternal prenatal anxiety and development in human infants.

Aim

This prospective study examined the impact of maternal prenatal anxiety disorder and maternal caregiving sensitivity on cognitive and psychomotor development in healthy, full-term, 7-month-old infants.

Measures

Women completed a clinical interview during the third trimester of pregnancy to assess anxiety symptoms meeting DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. At infant age 7 months, maternal sensitivity to infant distress and non-distress were observed and coded during the still-face procedure. Maternal postnatal (concurrent) anxiety and depression were also assessed at this time. Infant mental and psychomotor development was assessed at infant age 7 months using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development II.

Results

Analyses were based on 77 mother-infant dyads. Maternal sensitivity to infant distress moderated the association between maternal prenatal anxiety disorder and infant mental development, F (1, 77) = 5.70, p = .02. Whereas there was a significant positive association between sensitivity and mental development among infants whose mothers were anxious during pregnancy, sensitivity had little impact on mental development among infants of control (non-anxious) women. Results were independent of prenatal depression and postnatal anxiety and depression. A caregiving moderation effect was not found for infant psychomotor development, p > .10.

Conclusions

These findings are consistent with a cumulative risk model suggesting that maternal prenatal anxiety and quality of maternal care act in concert to shape infant outcomes.     

Work/non-workday differences in mother,child, and mother–child morning cortisol in a sample of working mothers and their children

Background

Mothers have been shown to have higher morning cortisol on days they go to work compared to non-workdays; however, it is unknown how maternal workday associates with child morning cortisol or the attunement of mother–child morning cortisol.

Aims

This study examined the presence and stability of morning cortisol levels and slopes (i.e., cortisol awakening response or CAR) in a sample of 2–4 year old children in out-of-home child care with working mothers. In addition, we examined the differential contributions of maternal workday on mother–child attunement in morning cortisol.

Method

Mother and child morning cortisol was sampled twice a day (awakening and 30 min later) across four consecutive days (2 non-workdays; 2 workdays) among 47 working mothers and their young children. Mothers also reported on compliance with sampling procedures and provided demographic information.

Results

While children exhibited stability in cortisol levels, children's CARs were variable, with children's non-work CARs not predictive of work CARs. Similarly, a significant morning rise in cortisol was only found on workdays, not non-workdays. Overall, mothers had higher cortisol levels and steeper CARs than their children. Further, maternal workday moderated the attunement of mother–child morning cortisol, such that mothers and children had concordant cortisol levels on non-workdays, but discordant cortisol levels on workdays.

Conclusions

Morning cortisol may be more variable in pre-school aged children than adults but may be similarly responsive to the social environment. Further, workday mornings may be a time of reduced mother–child cortisol attunement.     

Maternal sensitivity and infant autonomic and endocrine stress responses

Background

Early environmental exposures may help shape the development of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, influencing vulnerability for health problems across the lifespan. Little is known about the role of maternal sensitivity in influencing the development of the ANS in early life.

Aims

To examine associations among maternal sensitivity and infant behavioral distress and ANS and HPA axis reactivity to the Repeated Still-Face Paradigm (SFP-R), a dyadic stress task.

Study design

Observational repeated measures study.

Subjects

Thirty-five urban, sociodemographically diverse mothers and their 6-month-old infants.

Outcome measures

Changes in infant affective distress, heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and T-wave amplitude (TWA) across episodes of the SFP-R were assessed. A measure of cortisol output (area under the curve) in the hour following cessation of the SFP-R was also obtained.

Results

Greater maternal insensitivity was associated with greater infant sympathetic activation (TWA) during periods of stress and tended to be associated with greater cortisol output following the SFP-R. There was also evidence for greater affective distress and less parasympathetic activation (RSA) during the SFP-R among infants of predominantly insensitive mothers.

Conclusions

Caregiving quality in early life may influence the responsiveness of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS as well as the HPA axis. Consideration of the ANS and HPA axis systems together provides a fuller representation of adaptive versus maladaptive stress responses. The findings highlight the importance of supporting high quality caregiving in the early years of life, which is likely to promote later health.     

Adolescents obèses : évaluation de l’image du corps,de l’estime de soi,de l’anxiété et de la dépression

Background

Adolescence is identified as a critical period for obesity and its complications.

Objective

To evaluate body image, self-esteem, anxiety and depression in obese adolescents.

Methods

Hundred and six obese adolescents benefited from an exploration of body image (Body Prominence, BPQ; Figure Rating Scale, FRS; Questionnaire of Body Preoccupation, QPC), self-esteem (Self-Esteem Scale, SES), anxiety (Revised children Manifest Anxiety Scale, RCMA-S), depression (Center for Epidemiologic studies–Depression Scale, CES-D).

Results

Globally, body image is disturbed. The BPQ shows a level of body consciousness greater in girls. Concerning the choice of the perceived figure, boys position themselves more frequently than girls in plump figures. For wished figures, girls choose more slim figures. However, there is no sex difference concerning body dissatisfaction that is relatively important for both sexes. The QPC indicates that girls have higher body preoccupation level than boys with specific focus on certain body area according to sex. The SES indicates that one out of two adolescents shows a low self-esteem and according to the RCMA-S, one out of three shows a high anxiety level without sex difference. Moreover, from the CES-D, one out of five adolescents, more frequently girls, exhibits a moderate to severe depression.

Conclusion

These results, with a differential interpretation (statistical vs clinical), partly confirm the data from the literature, and underline the need to perform a comprehensive investigation of body image, self-esteem, anxiety and depression in obese adolescents. In order to optimize the quality of the management provided to these youths, we proposed to physicians a pragmatic guide as “the somato-psychic pyramid”. It is important to remind that while escaping from the rule of the body fat regulation, obese adolescents may demonstrate a transgression and an adaptative marginalization.     

Maternal emotional availability at bedtime and infant cortisol at 1 and 3 months

Background

Previous work has shown that early experience influences infant cortisol secretion. Few studies, however, have examined associations between parenting quality and cortisol levels and patterning in very young infants.

Aims

This study examined linkages between maternal emotional availability (EA) during a routine caregiving task, bedtime, and infant cortisol in the first 3 months of life. Concurrent and longitudinal associations between maternal EA and infant cortisol were examined.

Study design

Families were visited when their infants were 1 and 3 months old. Video equipment was set up in order to record the infant's bedtime routine. Parents were provided with materials with which to take saliva samples from their infants at late afternoon, bedtime, and the following morning.

Subjects

At 1 month, participants were 96 mothers and infants living in a rural U.S. state. Data were available for 88 mothers and infants at 3 months.

Outcome measures

Maternal EA was scored from videotapes of bedtime at each age point. Infant cortisol was assessed from the saliva samples taken by parents.

Results

Regression analyses indicated that at 1 and 3 months of age, infants of more emotionally available mothers showed lower levels of cortisol secretion across the night than infants of less emotionally available mothers. Additionally, multilevel model analyses indicated that infants of more emotionally available mothers showed greater evidence of a decline in their cortisol levels across the evening, followed by an increase across the nighttime into the morning in their cortisol at 3 months.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that maternal care in the context of a routine caregiving task is associated with lower stress reactivity and with earlier circadian patterning in very young infants.     

Postnatal depression mediates the relationship between infant and maternal sleep disruption and family dysfunction

Background

Previous research has linked family sleep disruption and dysfunction in children; however, the mechanism is unknown.

Aims

This study examined whether maternal sleep and postnatal depression (PND) mediate the relationship between infant sleep disruption and family dysfunction.

Study design and participants

Mothers of infants aged 12 months old (N = 111; 48% male) completed infant and parent sleep surveys, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Family Assessment Device.

Results

Poor infant sleep was related to poor maternal sleep, which was associated with higher PND and higher level of family dysfunction.

Conclusions

Results are consistent with the proposition that identification of both infant and maternal sleep problems during infancy can be relevant to reduction of PND and improved family functioning.     

Symptomatologie dépressive à l’adolescence : rôle de la personnalité et de la conscience émotionnelle

Aim of the study

The aim of the study was to analyze the relating contribution of personality dimensions referring to Cloninger's model and emotional awareness to depressive symptoms intensity, in a community sample of adolescents. Our purpose was also to investigate the mediating role of the emotional awareness on the personality-depression relationship.

Method

A sample of 372 school students completed the following questionnaires: the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ), the Level of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).

Results

Correlationnal and multiple hierarchical regressions analysis confirmed the existence of direct links between each personality dimensions and depression, and the partial mediating effect of emotional awareness, but only for the novelty seeking and the harm avoidance dimensions.

Conclusion

Our results confirm the relationships observed in previous research between emotion awareness and depression on one hand, and between personality and depression on the other hand. They highlight the major role played by personality and emotional processing in the vulnerability to present depressive symptoms. The importance of taking in account and assess the emotional processing in the adolescent's depression clinical support is discussed.     

Persistent maternal anxiety affects the interaction between mothers and their very low birthweight children at 24 months

Background

Parental distress following the birth of a premature infant diminishes the parent's ability to be sensitive to the infant's cues, and this may affect infant developmental outcomes.

Aims

The present study examined the effects of maternal anxiety during infant hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on the interactive behavior of mothers with their very low birthweight (VLBW) children in toddlerhood.

Subjects

A sample of 56 mothers and their VLBW infants were recruited in the NICU.

Study design

During the infant's NICU stay, mothers completed a self-report measure of trait anxiety. These mothers and their infants were followed when the infants were 24 months corrected age, when mothers and their children were videotaped during free play at home. These videotapes were then coded using the Emotional Availability Scales.

Results

Maternal anxiety was not found to be related to severity of neonatal illness. Maternal anxiety in the NICU was associated with less sensitivity and less structure in interaction with their toddlers at 24 months corrected age, even controlling for maternal education and child birthweight. Children of mothers with higher anxiety scores in the NICU were less likely to involve their mothers in their play at 24 months corrected age.

Conclusions

Maternal anxiety in the NICU predicted adverse interactive behaviors when the children were 24 months corrected age. Early identification of anxious mothers in the NICU is needed in order to initiate preventive intervention to support the mother-infant relationship.     

Early relations between language development and the quality of mother–child interaction in very-low-birth-weight children

Background

It is not clearly understood how the quality of early mother–child interaction influences language development in very-low-birth-weight children (VLBW).

Aims

We aim to analyze associations between early language and the quality of mother–child interaction, and, the predictive value of the features of early mother–child interaction on language development at 24 months of corrected age in VLBW children.

Study design

A longitudinal prospective follow-up study design was used.

Methods

The participants were 28 VLBW children and 34 full-term controls. Language development was measured using different methods at 6, 12 and at 24 months of age. The quality of mother–child interaction was assessed using PC-ERA method at 6 and at 12 months of age.

Results

Associations between the features of early interaction and language development were different in the groups of VLBW and full-term children. There were no significant correlations between the features of mother–child interaction and language skills when measured at the same age in the VLBW group. Significant longitudinal correlations were detected in the VLBW group especially if the quality of early interactions was measured at six months and language skills at 2 years of age. However, when the predictive value of the features of early interactions for later poor language performance was analyzed separately, the features of early interaction predicted language skills in the VLBW group only weakly.

Conclusions

The biological factors may influence on the language development more in the VLBW children than in the full-term children. The results also underline the role of maternal and dyadic factors in early interactions.