Parent-infant interaction during feeding when the infant has congenital heart disease.

Abstract

This article examines parent-infant interaction (PII) during feeding when the infant has congenital heart disease (CHD) using the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAFS) and compares the NCAFS scores of the infants with CHD with those of healthy controls. Twenty mother-infant dyads, 10 with CHD and 10 controls, were studied. Infants with CHD scored significantly lower than controls on both infant subscales, Responsiveness to Caregiver and Clarity of Cues, of the NCAFS. Mothers of CHD infants scored significantly lower on the Social Emotional Growth Fostering subscale. These findings suggest specific behavioral differences in infants with CHD during feeding and support the need for more information about feeding interactions in infants with CHD.