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Effects of an early intervention on maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and the quality of mother-infant interaction: the case of preterm birth.
Journal article

Effects of an early intervention on maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and the quality of mother-infant interaction: the case of preterm birth.

  • Borghini A Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Habersaat S Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: stephanie.habersaat@gmail.com.
  • Forcada-Guex M Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Nessi J Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Pierrehumbert B Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Ansermet F Department of Child and Adolescent Psychology, University Hospital of Geneva (HUG), Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Müller-Nix C Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital of Lausanne (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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  • 2014-09-16
Published in:
  • Infant behavior & development. - 2014
Early intervention
Maternal symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Mother–infant interaction
Preterm birth
Adult
Early Medical Intervention
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Infant
Infant Behavior
Infant, Newborn
Mother-Child Relations
Obstetric Labor, Premature
Pregnancy
Premature Birth
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Treatment Outcome
English Preterm birth may represent a traumatic situation for both parents and a stressful situation for the infant, potentially leading to difficulties in mother-infant relationships. This study aimed to investigate the impact of an early intervention on maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms, and on the quality of mother-infant interactions, in a sample of very preterm infants and their mothers. Half of the very preterm infants involved in the study (n=26) were randomly assigned to a 3-step early intervention program (at 33 and 42 weeks after conception and at 4 months' corrected age). Both groups of preterm infants (with and without intervention) were compared to a group of full-term infants. The impact of the intervention on maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms was assessed 42 weeks after conception and when the infants were 4 and 12 months of age. The impact of the intervention on the quality of mother-infant interactions was assessed when the infants were 4 months old. Results showed a lowering of mothers' posttraumatic stress symptoms between 42 weeks and 12 months in the group of preterm infants who received the intervention. Moreover, an enhancement in maternal sensitivity and infant cooperation during interactions was found at 4 months in the group with intervention. In the case of a preterm birth, an early intervention aimed at enhancing the quality of the mother-infant relationship can help to alleviate maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and may have a positive impact on the quality of mother-infant interactions.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/38941
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