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Developmental and evolutionary assumptions in a study about the impact of premature birth and low income on mother–infant interaction

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Abstract

In order to study the impact of premature birth and low income on mother–infant interaction, four Portuguese samples were gathered: full-term, middle-class (n = 99); premature, middle-class (n = 63); full-term, low income (n = 22); and premature, low income (n = 21). Infants were filmed in a free play situation with their mothers, and the results were scored using the CARE Index. By means of multinomial regression analysis, social economic status (SES) was found to be the best predictor of maternal sensitivity and infant cooperative behavior within a set of medical and social factors. Contrary to the expectations of the cumulative risk perspective, two factors of risk (premature birth together with low SES) were as negative for mother–infant interaction as low SES solely. In this study, as previous studies have shown, maternal sensitivity and infant cooperative behavior were highly correlated, as was maternal control with infant compliance. Our results further indicate that, when maternal lack of responsiveness is high, the infant displays passive behavior, whereas when the maternal lack of responsiveness is medium, the infant displays difficult behavior. Indeed, our findings suggest that, in these cases, the link between types of maternal and infant interactive behavior is more dependent on the degree of maternal lack of responsiveness than it is on birth status or SES. The results will be discussed under a developmental and evolutionary reasoning.

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Acknowledgments

The study was made possible with a postdoctoral fellowship from Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/BPD/26726/2006). The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments of Edward Tronick, Ana Kirby, and David Hibberd. The authors declare that the experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child Development Unit, Children’s Hospital, 1295 Boylston Street, Suite 320, Boston, MA, 02215, USA

    Marina Fuertes

  2. Hospital Espírito de Santo de Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal

    Anabela Faria

  3. Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal

    Hélia Soares

  4. Family Institute of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Patricia Crittenden

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  1. Marina Fuertes
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  2. Anabela Faria
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  3. Hélia Soares
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  4. Patricia Crittenden
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Correspondence to Marina Fuertes.

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Communicated by R.F. Oliveira

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Fuertes, M., Faria, A., Soares, H. et al. Developmental and evolutionary assumptions in a study about the impact of premature birth and low income on mother–infant interaction. acta ethol 12, 1–11 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-008-0051-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-008-0051-4

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