Antecedents of mother-infant interaction and infant irritability in the first three months of life

Abstract

This research investigated the relationship of infant and mother characteristics to the development of infant temperament and mother-infant interaction during the first three months of life. Fifty-six mothers and their low-risk newborn infants participated in the research. Maternal questionnaires were administered prenatally and Neonatal Behavioral Assessments were administered in the early postnatal period; mother-infant interaction was observed at one and three months. Data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regression techniques. The results indicate that neonatal irritability shows some consistency when time to calm is the criterion; that observed fussing and crying is associated not with neonatal irritability, but with unresponsive maternal attitudes and behavior; that initial irritability is associated with greater responsiveness to female than to male infants; and that by 3 months, antecedent mother and infant characteristics contribute significantly to the prediction of observed mother behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of a transactional model of development.