Preterm birth: Hazardous obstetrical and postnatal events as related to caregiver-infant behavior

It has been suggested that diminished caregiver-infant interaction is likely with biologically-at-risk infants. This paper examines the question: Does the presence of adverse conditions surrounding the pregnancy and birth interfere with caregiver-infant interaction with preterm infants? Birth weight, gestational age, length of hospitalization, hazardous obstetrical, and postnatal events in a sample of 123 preterm infants were correlated with caregiver and infant behaviors in naturalistic observations in the home when the infants were one-month-old. Caregiver behaviors were related to prior events such that the infants who had experienced a more hazardous biological course received more social interaction as well as routine caretaking. Infant behaviors were also related to prior obstetrical and postnatal events. Infants with a more hazardous course had a shorter period of wakefulness and were less irritable during their awake time. The results suggested that hazardous obstetrical and postnatal events tended to alter infant behaviors and enhanced, rather than diminished, caregiver-infant interaction with preterm infants, at least 1 month of age.