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Relation of mother‐infant interaction to infant weight and length in rural Southern Ethiopia
Author(s) -
Woltamo Tesfaye,
White Shauntia D,
Hubbs-Tait Laura,
Stoecker Barbara J,
Hambidge Michael
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.1028.11
Subject(s) - medicine , distress , edinburgh postnatal depression scale , postpartum depression , demography , alertness , birth weight , pediatrics , psychology , pregnancy , clinical psychology , psychiatry , anxiety , depressive symptoms , biology , sociology , genetics
Study objective was to identify mother‐infant (n= 60) behaviors linked to 6‐mo infant weight and length in breastfed infants in 2010 in Sidama, Ethiopia, a region stricken by famine in 2009. Preliminary data on videotaped behaviors are reported for 26 mother‐infant pairs. Interrater reliabilities on infant behaviors ranged from r =.65 to .89; on maternal behaviors they ranged from r =.53 to.81. Behaviors were validated with mothers’ Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS, translated into Amharic) and social support (SS) scores. Correlations were: infant vocalizations with EPDS and SS, r = −.34 and r = .46, p s < .05; infant distress with EPDS, r = .50, p < .01; infant activity with SS, r = .47, p < .01; mother response to infant vocalization with EPDS and SS, r = −.38 and r = .45, p s < .05. Infants’ vocalizations and mothers’ responses were linked to infant weight‐for‐length: r = .27, p < .10 and r = .35, p < .05. Infant distress was linked to infant weight‐and length‐for‐age: r = .45 and r = .50, p s < .01. Findings on distress and growth are consistent with research on alertness and growth. Vocalization findings are congruent with functional isolation hypothesis. Funding: NICHD R01 053053.