2002 International International Biennial Scientific Meeting

NATURE AND CORRELATES OF UNSETTLED INFANT BEHAVIOUR IN A COHORT OF MOTHER-INFANT PAIRS ADMITTED TO A SPECIALISED EARLY PARENTING SERVICE

Heather Rowe, Jane Fisher and Colin Feekery

Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, School of Population Health, University of Melbourne

h.rowe@unimelb.edu.au

Objectives: To assess infant temperament and behaviour in babies admitted with their mothers to a private early parenting service and to examine the relationship with maternal emotional wellbeing.

Methods: A systematic self-report questionnaire survey of women admitted to Masada Private Hospital Mother Baby Unit included The Early Infancy Temperament Questionnaire for babies aged under 16 weeks (Medoff-Cooper et al, 1985) and the Short Temperament Scale for Infants Aged More Than Four Months (Sanson et al, 1987). The questionnaire also assessed maternal health and psychological functioning and infant health and development, feeding, sleeping and crying behaviours. Visual analogue ratings of quality of mother-infant interaction were completed by nursing and medical staff.

Results: A total of 109 of 146 (75%) questionnaires were completed. Most of the babies (76%) were reported to be in good or very good health, but they were also reported to have significant sleep and feeding difficulties. Very high rates of difficult infant temperament were also reported, in particular low threshold to stimuli, low rhythmicity and manageability. There were high rates of co-incidental maternal psychological distress, in particular clinically significant exhaustion and anxiety.

Conclusions: Unsettled infant behaviour is closely linked to difficult infant temperament and contributes to diminished maternal confidence and quality of mother-infant relationship.