Characteristics of Early Mother-Infant and Father-Infant Interactions: A Comparison between Assisted Reproductive Technology and Spontaneous Conceiving Parents.

Francesca Agostini,Maria Teresa Villani,Francesca Nuccini,Federica Andrei,Marcella Paterlini,Elena Trombini,Erica Neri,Lorenzo Aguzzoli

doi:10.3390/ijerph17218215

Abstract

This study aims to describe parents’ and infant’s interactive styles after assisted reproduction treatments (ART), to compare them with parent–infant interactions after spontaneous conception (SC), and to assess the effect of specific ART variables (cause of infertility, treatment type, and previous ART attempts) on interaction quality. The sample included 25 ART conceiving couples and 31 SC couples with their 3-months-old babies. Free parent–infant interactions (3–5 min) were coded using the CARE-Index, a video-based assessment scale that gives both dimensional (e.g., sensitivity, control, passivity) and categorical scores (sensitive, inept, at-risk) for parents and infants. Results showed a global similarity between groups in CARE-Index dimensions. Nevertheless, differences emerged in categorical scores, as the interactive patterns of ART parents were more frequently classified as “inept” and “at-risk” compared to SC parents. With regards to ART dyads only, infants conceived through intracytoplasmic sperm injection scored significantly lower to the dimension compulsivity and higher to passivity, compared to infants conceived through in vitro fertilization. Yet, infants conceived at the first ART cycle had significantly lower levels of difficulty than infants conceived after one ART attempt. These results speak about the existence of important parent–infant interactive differences related to conception modality and ART technique and suggest the need to implement support programs to promote more sensitive parenting styles.

Highlights

In order to improve our understanding of parent-interactions after assisted reproduction treatments (ART) pregnancies, a cross-sectional study was realized to address the following research questions: (1) Are the characteristics of early parent–infant interactions different according to conceiving method (ART versus spontaneous conception (SC)) and to parental role? We aimed to explore both parents and infants’ specific interactive styles; (2) are the interactive behaviors in the ART sample influenced by the following clinical variables: cause of sterility, treatment type and history of previous ART attempts? Regarding the latter, we considered the presence of previous ART
The present study evaluated early interactions in ART parent–infant dyads, through a validated observational scale and by considering the effect of specific ART treatment variables
Dimensional interactive patterns were similar between ART and SC parents, but particular attention should be paid to a general lack in sensitivity in ART samples, as important cue to detect families in need of intervention

Summary

Introduction

Infertility, Assisted Reproductive Techniques, and Transition to Parenthood. The burden of infertility for couples has become a public health issue in many countries across the world. WHO reported that, in 2010, an estimated 48.5 million couples worldwide were unable to have a child after five years of unprotected intercourse [1]. In Britain, Datta et al [2] estimated a. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 8215; doi:10.3390/ijerph17218215 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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