A pediatric screening instrument to detect problematic infant-parent interactions: Initial reliability and validity in a sample of high- and low-riskinfants
Bh. Fiese et al., A pediatric screening instrument to detect problematic infant-parent interactions: Initial reliability and validity in a sample of high- and low-riskinfants, INF MEN H J, 22(4), 2001, pp. 463-478
The purpose of this study was to determine the initial reliability and vali
dity of a screening instrument developed to detect problematic interactions
between infants and parents as part of a pediatric well-baby exam. partici
pants included 117 infant-mother dyads (57 preterms and 60 full terms) asse
ssed when infants were 6 to 9 months old. Mothers and infants were observed
playing an interactional game such as peek-a-boo during the course of the
pediatric exam. The game was scored for degree of interactional reciprocity
using the Pediatric Infant Parent Exam (PIPE). Acceptable levels of interr
ater reliability were achieved. As predicted, higher risk infants and their
mothers exhibited more problematic interactions than lower risk infants an
d their mothers. Results indicated that the PIPE was a reliable means of sc
reening for interactional difficulties, that was sensitive to, but not syno
nymous with, neonatal health indices.