The Early Development of Low-Birthweight Infants: Relationship to Health,Family Status,Family Context,Family Processes,and Parenting

Abstract

This study examines the early development of low birthweight infants and its relationship to five categories of medical and environmental variables: (1) health; (2) family status; (3) family context; (4) family process; and (5) parenting. Results showed that scores on the Bayley Mental Development Index. (MDI) at 18 months were related to all five categories of variables. However, most correlations were only moderate in strength (0.3 to 0.5) and four of the. five categories could be represented by only a single variable within the category. Multiple regression analyses indicated that family context and family process variables were not as highly related to MDI as family status, medical problems, and parenting were. The most efficient prediction of MDI was obtained using a combination of two HOME subscales, variety of stimulation and organisation of the environment, plus the 5-minute APGAR (R = 0.59).

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Alden, E. , Mandelkorn, T. , Woodrum, D. , Wennberg, R. , Parks, C. , & Hodson, W. (1972). Morbidity and mortality of infants weighing less than 1000 grams in an intensive care nursery . Pediatrics, 50, 50-57 .

Barnard, K. , Bee, H. , & Hammond, M. (1984). Home environment and cognitive development in a healthy, low-risk sample: The Seattle study. In A. Gottfried (Ed.), Home environment and early cognitive development. New York: Academic Press .

Beckwith, L. & Cohen, S. (1980). Interactions of preterm infants. In T. Field , S. Goldberg , D. Stern , & A. Sostek (Eds.), Interactions of high risk infants and children. New York: Academic Press .

Beckwith, L. & Cohen, S. (1984). Home environment and cognitive competence in preterm children during the first 5 years. In A. Gottfried (Ed.), Home environment and early cognitive development. New York: Academic Press .

Belsky, J. (1984). The determinants of parenting: A process model . Child Development, 55, 83-96 .

Brown, J. & Bakeman, R. (1979). Relationship of human mothers with their infants during the first year of life: Effects of prematurity. In R. Bell & W. Smotherman (Eds.), Maternal influence and early behavior.

Caldwell, B. & Bradley, R. (1984). Home observation for measurement of the environment. Manual published by University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas .

Commey, J. & Fitzhardinge, P. (1979). Handicap in the preterm small-for-gestational age infant . Journal of Pediatrics, 94, 779-786 .

Crawford, J. (1982). Mother-child interaction in premature and fullterm infants . Child Development, 53, 957-962 .

10.

Crnic, K. , Greenberg, M. , Ragozin, A. , Robinson, N. , & Basham, R. (1983). Effects of stress and social support on mothers and premature and full-term infants . Child Development, 54, 209-217 .

11.

Drillien, D. , Thompson, A. , & Burgoyne, K. (1980). Low-birthweight children at early school age: A longitudinal study . Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 22, 26-47 .

12.

Field, T. (1977). Maternal stimulation during infant feeding . Developmental Psychology, 13, 539-540 .

13.

Field, T. (1980). Interactions of preterm and term infants with their lowerand middle-class teenage and adult mothers. In T. Field (Ed.), High risk infants and children. New York: Academic Press .

14.

Field, T. , Dempsey, J. , & Shuman, H. (1979). Developmental assessments of infants respiratory distress syndrome. In T. Field , A. Sostek , S. Goldberg , & H. Shuman (Eds.), Infants born at risk. New York: Spectrum .

15.

Fisch, R. , Bilek, M. , Miller, L. , & Engel, R. (1975). Physical and mental status at 4 years of age of survivors of the respiratory distress syndrome . Journal of Pediatrics, 86, 497-503 .

16.

Fitzhardinge, P. & Stevens, E. (1972). The small-for-date infant: II. Neurological and intellectual sequelae . Pediatrics, 50, 50-57 .

17.

Francis-Williams, J. & Davies, P. (1974). Very low birthweight and later intelligence . Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 16, 709-728 .

18.

Goldberg, S. (1978). Prematurity: Effects on parent-infant interaction . Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 3, 137-144 .

19.

Goldberg, S. (1979). Premature birth: Consequences for the parent-infant relationship . American Scientist, 67, 214-222 .

20.

Goldberg, S. , Brachfeld, S. , & Divitto, B. (1980). Feeding, fussing, and play: Parent-infant interaction in the first year as a function of prematurity and perinatal medical problems. In T. Field , S. Goldberg , D. Stern , & A. Sostek (Eds.), High-risk infants and children: Adult and peer interactions. New York: Academic Press .

21.

Hudson, W. (1977). A measurement package for clinical workers . Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education. Phoenix, Arizona.

22.

Kitchen, W. , Ryan, M. , Rickards, A. , Gaudrey, E. , Brenton, A. , Billson, F. , Fortune, D. , Keir, E. , & Lundahl-Hegedus, E. (1978). A longitudinal study of very low birthweight infants, I: Study design and mortality rates . Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 20, 605-618 .

23.

Leifer, A. , Leiderman, P. , Barnett, C. , & Williams, J. (1972). Effects of mother-infant separation on maternal attachment behavior . Child Development, 43, 1203-1218 .

24.

McCall, R. (1981). Nature-nuture and the two realms of development: A proposed integration with respect to mental development . Child Development, 52, 1-12 .

25.

Moos, R. (1974). Family environment scale. Palo Alto, Cal.: Consulting Psychologists Press .

26.

Pape, K. , Bunic, R. , Ashby S. , & Fitzhardinge, P. (1978). The status at two years of low birthweight infants born in 1974 with birthweights of less than 1001 grams . Journal of Pediatrics, 92, 253-260 .

27.

Parke, R. & Tinsley, B. (1982). The early environment of the at-risk infant: Expanding the social context. In D. Bicker (Ed.), Intervention with at-risk and handicapped infants. Baltimore: University Park Press .

28.

Parmelee, A. , Sigman, M. , Kopp, C. , & Haber, A. (1976). Diagnosis of the infant at high risk for mental, motor, and sensory handicaps. In T. Tjossem (Ed.), Intervention strategies for high risk infants and young children. Baltimore: University Park Press .

29.

Ramey, C. , MacPhee, D. , & Yeates, K. (1983). Preventing developmental retardation: A general systems model. In L. Bond & J. Joffe (Eds.), Facilitating infant and early childhood development. Hanover, New Hampshire: University Press of New England .

30.

Sameroff, A. (1975). Early influences on development, fact or fancy? Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 21, 267-294 .

31.

Sameroff, A. (1982). The environmental context of developmental disabilities. In D. Bricker (Ed.), Intervention with at risk and handicapped infants. Baltimore: University Park Press .

32.

Siegel, L. (1983). The prediction of possible learning disabilities in preterm and fullterm children. In T. Field & A. Sostek (Eds.), Infants born at risk: Physiological and perceptual processes.

33.

Siegel, L. (1984). Home environmental influences on cognitive development in preterm and full-term children during the first 5 years. In A. Gottfried (Ed.), Home environment and early cognitive development. New York: Academic Press .

34.

Steward, A. & Reynolds, E. (1974). Improved prognosis for infants of very low birthweight . Pediatrics, 54, 724-735 .

35.

Thompson, T. & Reynolds, J. (1977). The results of intensive care therapy for neonates . Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 5, 59-70 .

36.

Wachs, T. & Gruen, G. (1982). Early experience and human development. New York: Plenum .

37.

Walberg, H. & Marjoribanks, K. (1976). Family environment and cognitive development: Twelve analytic models . Review of Educational Research, 45, 517-552 .

38.

Wemer, E. & Smith, R. (1981). Vulnerabk but invincibk. New York: McGraw-Hill .