Attachment in preterm infants and their mothers: Neonatal risk status and maternal representations

High-risk neonatal status, indexed by an intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and maternal representations of past and present attachment relationships were examined as predictors of infant attachment in a sample of preterm infants . Participants included 50 19-month-old infants and their middle-class, pre dominantly African American mothers. A maternal-report questionnaire and a structured interview were used to assess past relationship history with mot her and current relationship with infant, respectively. The Strange Situati on Paradigm was used to assess attachment security. Multiple logistic regre ssion analyses suggested that maternal representation of the infant-but not ICH or maternal childhood history-significantly predicted infant attachmen t security. ICH and maternal history of childhood rejection were predictive of disorganized infant attachment. The findings are consistent with previo us data that suggest that maternal factors are more important than infant f actors in determining infant attachment security. These data also suggest t hat neurological deficits may contribute to disorganized infant attachment.