The adaptiveness of mothers' working models of caregiving through the first year: Infant and mother contributions

Abstract

How a mother's working model of caregiving develops through an infant's first post-term year has implications for the infant's health. Change in the adaptiveness of the working model of caregiving through the first year and influencing conditions (mother and infant) were examined for 33 premature infants and 44 full-term infants. Adaptiveness was coded from the transcription of a video-assisted interview at 1, 4, 8 and 12 months postterm age. Mother conditions included years of education, symptoms of depression, and evaluation of caregiving. Infant conditions included status at birth, birth weight, weight-for-age, and amenability of temperament. Hierarchical fixed occasions repeated measures analysis showed significant change in working-model adaptiveness with time. The highest adaptiveness scores were at 4 months and the lowest scores were at 8 months. At 8 months, mother's education had a significant positive effect on adaptiveness, mother's symptoms of depression had a negative effect, and infant weight-for-age had a positive effect. Further research is needed to learn what features of a mother's education enhance working model adaptiveness and to identify mechanisms that explain the effects of the infant's weight-for-age on adaptiveness.