Brief Report : Birth Status, Medical Complications, and Social Environment : Individual Differences in Development of Preterm, Very Low Birth Weight Infants

Objective : To assess whether medical complications mediate the relationship between birth status (i.e., birth weight and gestational age) and developmental outcome of preterm, very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, as well as the role of the early social environment (maternal distress and social sup...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of pediatric psychology 2000-07, Vol.25 (5), p.353-358
Main Authors: Miceli, Penny J., Goeke-Morey, Marcie C., Whitman, Thomas L., Kolberg, Kathleen Sipes, Miller-Loncar, Cynthia, White, Robert D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
behavioral development
Biological and medical sciences
Child clinical studies
Child Development
cognitive development
depression
Developmental disorders
Female
Health Status
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Newborn, Diseases - psychology
Infant, Premature - growth & development
Infant, Premature - psychology
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight - growth & development
Infant, Very Low Birth Weight - psychology
Male
medical complications
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Mothers - psychology
Outcome Assessment (Health Care) - methods
preterm infants
Prospective Studies
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Severity of Illness Index
Social Support
stress
Time Factors
very low birth weight
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Objective : To assess whether medical complications mediate the relationship between birth status (i.e., birth weight and gestational age) and developmental outcome of preterm, very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, as well as the role of the early social environment (maternal distress and social support) in infant development. Method : Birth status and medical complication information was collected during the child's NICU stay. Maternal distress was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Parenting Stress Index at 4 months corrected infant age. Social support was measured with the Dunst Scales at 4 months corrected age. Child development measures were collected at 4 and 13 months corrected age (Bayley MDI and PDI), and at 36 months chronological age (PPVT-R and Achenbach CBCL). Results : Medical complications mediated the birth status-outcome relationship at 4 and 13 months, but not at 36 months. The 36-month outcomes were predicted by 4-month maternal distress and social support. Conclusions : Prematurity and VLBW are indirectly related to early developmental outcome through their association with medical complications. However, by 36 months, developmental outcomes are more closely related to aspects of the early social environment than to early physiological factors.
ISSN:0146-8693
1465-735X
1465-735X
DOI:10.1093/jpepsy/25.5.353