INTERACTION BETWEEN MOTHERS AND INFANTS BORN AT RISK DURING THE FIRST6 MONTHS OF CORRECTED AGE

The effects of preterm birth and the perinatal infant health condition on mother-infant interactions were analysed in 278 mother-infant pair s, divided into four groups according to infants' gestational age at b irth: group 1, 23-31 weeks; group 2, 32-36 weeks; group 3, 37-42 weeks ; and group 4, a control group of healthy full-term infants. The metho dological approach was based on observation of the pairs at 2, 4 and 6 months of infants' corrected age (+/- 1 week) during undressing of th e infant and face-to-face interaction. It was found that mother-infant pairs with preterm infants (groups 1 and 2) did not differ in interac tional variables from those of the control group. On the other hand, t he birth of a full-term infant in need of neonatal intensive care (gro up 3) affected maternal and infant interactive behaviour. Additionally , infants from group 3 did not show stability in their interactive beh aviour between any ages of measurement. This result suggests that inte ractive behaviour of full-term infants in need of neonatal intensive c are are rather unpredictable during their first 6 months of life, whic h might have contributed to the less optimal interactive pattern obser ved for their mothers compared with mothers of the control group.