Positive Mother-child Interactions Research Articles

Early Diagnosed Chronic Illness and Mother-Child Relationships in the First Two Years

As part of a longitudinal study, children in three groups (healthy, n = 33; cystic fibrosis (CF) n = 28; congenital heart disease (CHD) n = 23) were seen between the ages of 12 and 18 months to assess infant-mother attachment and at two years to observe parent-child negotiation of autonomy/dependence in a puzzle task. Although the healthy group included the highest proportion of securely attached infants and the CHD group the lowest, the distribution of attachment patterns did not differ significantly between groups, or between any of the groups and established norms. At two years the healthy children had the most positive experience in the puzzle task while the children in the CF group had the least positive experience. When diagnostic groups were divided according to prior attachment status, the data for the healthy group were consistent with the prediction that securely attached children would have the most positive mother-child interaction at age two. This was not the case in either of the medically diagnosed groups. These data suggest that the influence of the early parent-child relationship may be altered by a child's health status. We may need different models to account for development in healthy and medically compromised children.

Home caregivers and children on apnea monitors.

Despite the accepted at-risk status of children discharged home on mechanical assistive devices, few assessments have been done of the influence of caregiuer and family interactions on the developmental status of these children. The data reported below were collected retrospectively in a pilot study of 25 mother/child pairs who were discharged home with apnea monitors. Although the sample size is small, the findings are of some interest because of the pattern of correlations among variables and a path analytic model that emphasizes the interactive effects of social support, help-seeking coping activities reported by mothers, and the developmental outcomes of children. The results suggest that lack of family cohesion and low self-esteem of the mother may severely impair help-seeking behavior and that positive mother-child interactions, which favorably influence developmental outcomes, are influenced by the