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Journal of Pediatric Psychology Advance Access published online on August 3, 2005
Journal of Pediatric Psychology, doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsj051
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Journal of Pediatric Psychology © The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org
Received June 8, 2005
Revised June 30, 2005
Accepted July 5, 2005

Article

Prematurity Stereotyping and Mothers’ Interactions With Their Premature and Full-Term Infants During the First Year

Marilyn Stern PhD1*, Katherine Karraker PhD2, Bonnie McIntosh PhD3, Sara Moritzen PhD4, and Michelle Olexa PhD5

1 Virginia Commonwealth University
2 West Virginia University
3 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
4 University at Albany
5 Shippensburg University Counseling Center

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Marilyn Stern, E-mail: mstern{at}vcu.edu


  Abstract

Objective To longitudinally assess stability and correlates of prematurity stereotyping and perceptions of infant vulnerability in mothers of premature (N = 56) and full-term (N = 59) infants. Method At 5, 9, and 12 months, mothers rated videotapes of unfamiliar infants with a full-term label (FTL) or a preterm label (PL), interacted with their own infant, and completed other questionnaires. A subgroup of infants were administered a developmental assessment at 32 months. Results Mothers rated PL infants more negatively than FTL infants at each age. Individual differences in stereotyping were not stable. Mothers who negatively rated infants labeled with the same birth status of their own infants exhibited more negative interactive behaviors with their infants. Mothers who viewed their own infant as more vulnerable and who showed more prematurity stereotyping at 5 months had infants with lower 32-month mental scores. Conclusions The results suggest an association between early maternal cognitions and both contemporaneous maternal behavior and later child developmental outcomes.

Keywords: mother--infant interactions; perceived vulnerability; premature infants; prematurity stereotyping.
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