Parenting style in the NICU is stable, measurable, and predictive of 2-year parenting style
Early parenting characteristics beginning in the NICU are stable in infancy, measurable, reliable, and predictive of 2-year parenting styles.
Abstract
Objective: To establish psychometric properties of Baby Care Questionnaire (BCQ) in preterm infants, individual level stability of BCQ scores from NICU to 2 years corrected gestational age (CGA), and to determine whether early BCQ scores predict 2-year parenting styles. Study design: In this prospective study, the BCQ assessed early parental structure and attunement at 4 time points between NICU and 2-years CGA. The Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) at 2-years evaluated authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting styles. Intraclass correlations analyzed reliability and Reliable Change Index (RCI) studied individual-level stability. Multivariate regression examined predictive properties. Results: n=162 parent/preterm infant dyads were followed sequentially. Cronbach’s α BCQ structure and attunement were 0.9 and 0.8. RCI showed high individual level stability of both constructs. Higher early structure scores were associated higher 2-year authoritative scores. Conclusions: Early parenting characteristics beginning in the NICU are stable in infancy, measurable, reliable, and predictive of 2-year parenting styles. Early parental structure correlates with 2-year authoritative parenting style.