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Enhancing Maternal Interactive Behavior and Child Social Competence in Low Birth Weight, Premature Infants
Author(s) -
Spiker Donna,
Ferguson Joan,
BrooksGunn Jeanne
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.1993.tb02941.x
Subject(s) - psychology , ethnic group , developmental psychology , competence (human resources) , social competence , low birth weight , birth weight , intervention (counseling) , pregnancy , social change , psychiatry , social psychology , sociology , biology , anthropology , economics , genetics , economic growth
Effects of a comprehensive early intervention program for low birth weight, premature infants—the Infant Health and Development Program—on mother‐child interaction were examined at 30 months ( N = 683). Small significant positive effects were found: Intervention mothers had higher ratings on quality of assistance; intervention children had higher ratings on persistence and enthusiasm and on an overall child rating of competence and involvement and lower ratings on percentage of time off‐task; intervention dyads were rated as more synchronous. Of a set of initial status variables indexing biological and environmental risk, only 2 treatment interactions were found. Intervention group black children had higher ratings on enthusiasm and lower percentage of time off‐task. Independent of treatment, maternal ethnicity and education were significant predictors of maternal and dyadic ratings, while ethnicity and birth weight predicted child ratings. Implications for early intervention and center‐based care are discussed.