Consistency of maternal cognitions and principles across the first five months following preterm and term deliveries.
Infant Behav Dev 2014;
37:760-71. [PMID:
25459794 PMCID:
PMC4266449 DOI:
10.1016/j.infbeh.2014.09.005]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Consistency in group level (continuity) and individual level (stability) was examined longitudinally for caregiving principles (structure and attunement) and cognitions (categorical thinking, perspectivist thinking, complexity of thought) in mothers of preterm and term infants from birth to 5 months old.
Attunement was continuous and stable in mothers of preterm and term infants.
Structure was continuous in both groups but stable only in mothers of term infants.
Complexity of thought was continuous in both groups, perspectivist thinking increased in both groups but only for first-time mothers, and categorical thinking increased only in mothers of preterm infants.
Categorical thinking, perspectivist thinking, and complexity of thought were stable in mothers of both preterm and term infants.
The aims of this study were to examine and compare the development of parenting cognitions and principles in mothers following preterm and term deliveries. Parenting cognitions about child development, including thinking that is restricted to single causes and single outcomes (categorical thinking) and thinking that takes into account multiple perspectives (perspectivist thinking), have been shown to relate to child outcomes. Parenting principles about using routines (structure) or infant cues (attunement) to guide daily caregiving have been shown to relate to caregiving practices. We investigated the continuity and stability of parenting cognitions and principles in the days following birth to 5 months postpartum for mothers of infants born term and preterm. All parenting cognitions were stable across time. Categorical thinking increased at a group level across time in mothers of preterm, but not term, infants. Perspectivist thinking increased at a group level for first-time mothers (regardless of birth status) and tended to be lower in mothers of preterm infants. Structure at birth did not predict later structure (and so was unstable) in mothers of preterm, but not term, infants and neither group changed in mean level across time. Attunement was consistent across time in both groups of mothers. These results indicate that prematurity has multiple, diverse effects on parenting beliefs, which may in turn influence maternal behavior and child outcomes.
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