Marina Fuertes

Infant Coping and Maternal Interactive Behavior Predict Attachment in a Portuguese Sample of Healthy Preterm Infants

In this longitudinal study of a Portuguese sample of healthy preterm infants, the aim was to identify specific, independent predictors of infant-mother attachment status from a set of variables including maternal education, maternal representations’ of infant temperament, infant regulatory behavior (coping), and mothers’ interactive behavior in free play. The sample consisted of 48 medically low-risk preterm infants and their mothers who varied in education. When infants were 1 and 3 months (corrected age), mothers described their infants’ temperament using a Portuguese temperament scale (Escala de Temperamento do Bebe). At 3 months (corrected age), infants’ capacity to regulate stress (coping) was evaluated during Tronick’s Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF). At 9 months (corrected age), mothers’ interactive behaviors were evaluated during free play using the Crittenden’s Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index (CARE-Index). At 12 months (corrected age), infants’ attachment security was assessed...

Developmental and evolutionary assumptions in a study about the impact of premature birth and low income on mother-infant interaction

In order to study the impact of premature birth and low income on mother–infant interaction, four Portuguese samples were gathered: full-term, middle-class (n = 99); premature, middle-class (n = 63); full-term, low income (n = 22); and premature, low income (n = 21). Infants were filmed in a free play situation with their mothers, and the results were scored using the CARE Index. By means of multinomial regression analysis, social economic status (SES) was found to be the best predictor of maternal sensitivity and infant cooperative behavior within a set of medical and social factors. Contrary to the expectations of the cumulative risk perspective, two factors of risk (premature birth together with low SES) were as negative for mother–infant interaction as low SES solely. In this study, as previous studies have shown, maternal sensitivity and infant cooperative behavior were highly correlated, as was maternal control with infant compliance. Our results further indicate that, when maternal lack of responsiveness is high, the infant displays passive behavior, whereas when the maternal lack of responsiveness is medium, the infant displays difficult behavior. Indeed, our findings suggest that, in these cases, the link between types of maternal and infant interactive behavior is more dependent on the degree of maternal lack of responsiveness than it is on birth status or SES. The results will be discussed under a developmental and evolutionary reasoning.

Estudo exploratório sobre a classificação da vinculação atípica: desorganização ou adaptação?

Os estudos da vinculacao tem como denominador comum a teoria da vinculacao proposta por Bowlby. Nesta teoria sao apresentados os aspectos universais da vinculacao explicados a luz dos processos de evolucao filogenetica e ontogenetica da especie humana. Ainsworth procurou descrever a forma como os humanos se distinguem na activacao do sistema de vinculacao e descreveu o padrao evitante (A), seguro (B) e ambivalente/resistente (C). Contudo, um pequeno grupo de criancas nao coube nesta classificacao. Neste artigo sao examinadas as propostas de classificacao a margem da vinculacao tipica (A, B e C), i.e., o padrao D, U-A, A+, C+ e A/C. Para o efeito, foram seleccionadas tres amostras: i) sem condicoes de risco (n=61), ii) com bebes prematuros (n=52), e iii) multi-risco (n=9). As criancas em estudo tinham entre 12 e 18 meses e foram observadas na Situacao Estranha de Ainsworth. Verificamos que existem zonas de sobreposicao na classificacao dos mesmos casos entre os sistemas estudados. O sistema de classificacao mais inclusivo e o sistema de A+, C+ e A/C de Crittenden. As maiores divergencias entre estes tipos de classificacao resultam do quadro teorico de partida de cada sistema e tornam dificil a reuniao destas propostas num unico modelo de classificacao.

Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS): Confirmatory factor analysis of the six behavioral clusters

The Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS) is a widely used in the neurobehavioral assessment of neonates in clinical practice and research. Lesters data reduction system for the NBAS items is the most often used in research, but the few factor analytic studies carried out with it leave gaps in its validation. The current study aimed to test and compare (a) the factorial structure of the Lesters data reduction system for the NBAS and (b) an alternative data reduction system, slightly modified from Lesters system. The NBAS was administered to 196 healthy Portuguese full-term infants (51% male) in the first 72 h of life (M = 43.63 h). Construct validity of the data reduction systems was tested through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Lesters original system was compared to three alternative models, two of which included a revision of the scoring rules for three items and the exclusion of five items. The CFA generally supported the six-factor structure. However, fit indices for Lesters original model were only fair. An alternative, revised model with a second-order factor - Self-Organizing System - demonstrated a better fit. The results provide evidence to support a modified form of Lesters six behavioral clusters as a data reduction model for the NBAS items.

Parents attending to nurse visits and birth age contribute to infant development: A study about the determinants of infant development

Life experiences and parenting play an important role in infant development. To prevent developmental risks and support parents in their educational role, it is important to identify the determinants of infant development. In this study, we investigate the association between child, maternal, family and social variables, and infant development, as well as we investigate the determinants of infant development. A sample of 86 healthy infants and their mothers participated in this study. At 11-months, infant development was assessed with Schedule of Growing Skills II (SGSII). To assess mother-infant quality of interaction, the dyads were observed in free play at 12-months using CARE-Index. Maternal sensitivity and infant cooperative behavior were correlated with SGSII global scores and sub-scales. Infant development was associated with maternal years of education, number of siblings, birth weight or risks in pregnancy. Number of nurse visits attended by parents during the infant first year and birth age were determinants of infant development.

Robust stability and physiological correlates of infants’ patterns of regulatory behavior in the still-face paradigm at 3 and 9 months.

This study examined the stability of three patterns of infant regulatory behavior identified in the face-to-face still-face (FFSF) paradigm at 3 and 9 months—social-positive oriented, distressed-inconsolable, and self-comfort oriented—and whether variations in infants’ heart-rate were correlated with them. Although some studies have examined the stability of discrete infant behaviors, none have investigated the stability of early regulatory patterns across FFSF episodes over time. Healthy full-term infants and their mothers (N = 112) were videotaped in the FFSF when infants were 3 and 9 months old. Infants’ regulatory patterns were scored with the Coding System for Regulatory Patterns in the FFSF. Infants’ heart-rate level during each episode of the FFSF was also assessed. The social-positive-oriented pattern was the most prevalent at both ages. Cross-tabulation analysis showed a robust stability (Cohen’s &kgr; = .72) of the regulatory patterns from 3 to 9 months. The heart-rate level of infants with a social-positive-oriented pattern at 3 and 9 months showed recovery to baseline levels following the still-face. In contrast, the heart-rate level of infants with a distressed-inconsolable pattern at 9 months increased from the still-face to the reunion episode, whereas the heart-rate level of infants with a self-comfort-oriented pattern at 9 months did not change from the still-face to the reunion episodes. These results suggest that infants exhibit distinct organized regulatory patterns as early as 3 months that are stable over a 6-month interval and associated with variations in infants’ physiological responses across FFSF episodes at both ages.

Interação e linguagem dirigida a crianças de quinze meses

Cet etude compare l‘interaction et la communication de pere-enfant et de mere-enfant pour analyser les differences et les similitudes entre les dyades. Dans ce but, 80 dyades ont ete filmees dans une situation de jeu libre - 40 enfants âges de quinze mois en interaction a la fois avec son pere et sa mere (25 garcons et 15 filles). Les resultats revelent qu’il n’y a pas de differences significatives dans l’interaction des parents avec leurs enfants. Cependant, en ce qui concerne la communication, des differences ont ete observees dans le langage adresse aux enfants par les parents, en particulier, dans les enonces ciblant des noms et d‘evaluation positive. Au-dela des differences, nous soulignons la correlation positive trouvee soit dans l‘interaction soit dans la communication entre des parents qui cohabitent.