GRANDMOTHER CO-RESIDENCE, PARENTING, AND CHILD-DEVELOPMENT AMONG LOW-INCOME, URBAN TEEN MOTHERS

Purpose: To examine the relationships among grandmother co-residence, parenting, and early child development among low income, urban familie s with teen mothers whose children vary in growth (adequate versus fai lure to thrive [FTT]). Methods: Seventy-nine adolescent mothers of inf ants and toddlers (42 with adequate growth and 37 with FTT) recruited from a primary care clinic. Data collected during a laboratory evaluat ion included a videotaped session of mother and child during feeding, developmental assessment (Bayley Scales), and questionnaires on family Teen parent Grandmother support, perceived parenting stress, and mate rnal perception of child's temperament. Analysis: Multivariate analyse s of covariance. Independent variables were growth (adequate/FTT) and grandmother co-residence (present/absent). Dependent variables were ma ternal warmth during feeding, maternal perception of child's temperame nt, child's mealtime behavior, and child's cognitive and motor develop ment. Covariates were child's age, maternal age, maternal education, p arity, family support, and perceived stress. Results: Teen mothers liv ing with grandmothers were younger (mean age = 17.4 versus 18.6, p = . 03) and had fewer children (mean parity = 1.2 versus 1.7, p = .001). M others displayed more warmth when not living with grandmothers (p = .0 1). Among adequately growing children, grandmother co-residence was as sociated with better motor skills (106 versus 98, p = .039). In contra st, among children with FTT, grandmother co-residence was associated w ith lower motor skills (90 versus 100, p = .017). Conclusions: Althoug h multigenerational families may be protective for some teen parents a nd their young children, grandmother co-residence was not associated w ith maternal warmth. With the added stress of a poorly growing child, grandmother co-residence was associated with less optimal motor develo pment.