Parent-infant interactions among families with alcoholic fathers

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fathers' alcoholism and the quality of parent-infant interactions during free play. A related goal was to study the potential mediating or moderating role of c omorbid parental psychopathology, such as depression and antisocial behavio r, difficult infant temperament, and parental aggression. The sample consis ted of 204 families with 12-month-old infants (104 alcoholic and 100 contro l families), recruited from New York State birth records. Results indicated th;it fathers' alcoholism was associated sith a number of other risk facto rs (depression, antisocial behavior, and family aggression). Fathers' alcoh olism was also associated with more negative father-infant interactions as indicated by lower paternal sensitivity, positive affect, verbalizations, h igher negative affect, and lower infant responsiveness among alcoholic fath ers. As expected, fathers depression mediated the relationship between fath ers' alcoholism and sensitivity, while maternal depression mediated the ass ociation between maternal alcohol problems and maternal sensitivity. Parent s' psychopathology did not moderate the association between alcoholism and parent-infant interactions. The results from the present study suggest that the origins of risk for later maladjustment among children of alcoholic fa thers are apparent as early as infancy and highlight the role of comorbid p arental risk Factors.