Abstract
Early prenatal identification of the mother who is likely to produce a low birth weight (LBW) infant is difficult, but would be helpful in management. Thirty very low birth weight (VLBW, < 1500 grams) infant-mother pairs and 30 full-term controls (C) were selected sequentially over an 18-month period. They were matched by maternal age, parity and sex of infant. The Michigan Screening Profile for Parenting (MSPP, Helfer et al), which identified potential for problems in parent-child interaction, was administered to each mother at the time of the infant's discharge and again one month later. Preliminary analysis shows significant differences between VLBW's and C's: 1) 42% of VLBW mothers responded negatively or inconsistently to “Emotional needs met” (reflecting a non-nurturing upbringing) versus 19% of C's; 2) 21% of VLBW mothers reported poor relationships with their parents versus 6% of C's; 3) 17% of VLBW mothers had realistic expectations for their children, versus 44% of C's; 4) 29% of VLBW mothers reported a pregnancy interval of less than 1 year versus 7% of C's. 67 LBW's (1500-2500 grams) showed 38% with pregnancy interval less than 1 year, and 45% with psychosocial problems. These results suggest that knowledge of emotional deprivation might lead to earlier identification of women at risk for LBW infants, and to more effective prevention of LBW.
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