Abstract
The importance of family variables for the development of the premature newborn and the provision of adequate follow-up care was examined. Data were collected on infant medical status, characteristics of the primary caregiver, and variables in the broader family context thought to interact dynamically to affect the developing infant and family. 23 high risk infants (25-32 weeks gestation) and their mothers were assessed three times during the early postpartum months, and compared with 23 low risk infants and their mothers given parallel evaluations. The low risk infants were matched on race, sex, education of the mother, and marital status of the mother. Persistent differences were found between the high and low risk infants through four months of age on both behavioral and developmental exams. The two groups of mothers also differed significantly on measures of anxiety and psychological discomfort. Variability in maternal distress for the mothers of high risk infants was not associated with the infant's biomedical problems in the perinatal period or with the results of behavioral or developmental assessments of the infant. Instead, maternal distress reflected the level of social supports available in the broader family context, with low social supports related to increased distress. The findings indicated that having a baby prematurely is a very powerful perturbation for the mother, and that family and community support may be able to buffer her distress.
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O'Donnell, K., Naughton, P., Nelson, M. et al. FAMILY VARIABLES IN THE FOLLOW-UP OF PREMATURE INFANTS. Pediatr Res 18 (Suppl 4), 110 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00105
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198404001-00105