Mother-infant interaction at three and nine months: influences of maternal emotional health and prematurity of the baby

• Grant number: 17/08368-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): December 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal researcher: Olga Maria Piazentin Rolim Rodrigues
• Grantee: Luana Monteiro de Barros Do Nascimento
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências (FC). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Bauru. Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Actions related to motherhood are influenced by many factors, including maternal emotional health and premature birth, which may interfere with the quality of the infant-mother's interaction and, consequently, with the outcome of its development. In the present project we intend to analyze the influence of maternal anxiety and stress on the mother-baby interaction. Twenty mothers and their infants will be included in the study, of which 10 full-term infants and 10 preterm infants that attend the first-year infant development program. To evaluate maternal emotional health, the Parental Stress Index-Short Form (ISP-FC) and the Trait-State Anxiety Inventory (IDATE) will be used. At three and nine months the mother-baby interaction will be filmed and later analyzed using specific protocols to encode the interactive behaviors of the mother and the baby. The mothers and their preterm infants will comprise the Group of Premature (GP) and mothers of infants at term and without previous history of hospitalization will make up the Group at Term (GT). The data on emotional health will be collected with the mothers. Descriptive, comparative, correlational and inferential statistical analyzes will be done. The results obtained may indicate maternal or infant variables that require protective actions to modify and reduce their negative impact on the mother-baby interaction and, consequently, on its development. (AU)