Infant Coping and Maternal Interactive Behavior Predict Attachment in a Portuguese Sample of Healthy Preterm Infants

Fuertes, Marina; Santos, Pedro Lopes dos; Beeghly, Marjorie; Tronick, Ed

doi:10.1027/1016-9040.14.4.320

Cited by 53 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Fuertes et al (2009) found that at 3-months infant coping predict patterns of attachment at 12 months. In our study at 3-months, both infant Positive Other-Direct coping and Self-Direct coping were predicted by specific maternal types of interactive behaviour.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is seems that this Self-Direct coping is more related with maternal intrusivity and over control than from neonatal status. Since past studies found that infant Self Coping Style predicts insecureavoidant attachment (Fuertes et al, 2009), we speculate that this type of arousal regulation it is an early protective strategy that may lead to a defensive and avoidant behaviour.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since priori studies performed with prematurely born infant found that types of coping behaviour predict attachment status (Braungart-Rieker, Garwood, Powers, & Wang, 2001;Fuertes et al, 2006Fuertes et al, , 2009, we investigate the predictive impact of a set of infant, maternal and demographic factors on Positive Other-Directed, Negative Other-Directed and Self-Directed Coping behaviour. First, our findings corroborate an extensive literature that describes the Still-Face Effect (e.g., Cohn & Tronick, 1987, 1989Gianino & Tronick, 1988;Toda & Fogel, 1993;Tronick et al, 1978;Weinberg & Tronick, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, this study also reports that infants who exhibited more Positive coping behaviour responses during the all FFSF episodes at 3-months were more likely to be classified as secure at 12 months, whereas infants who exhibited more Negative coping responses during the FFSF were more likely to be classified as insecure-resistant, and infants who engaged in more Self-comforting coping behaviours during the FFSF were more likely to be classified as insecure-avoidant. In addition, the differences in infant coping during FFSF and maternal interactive behaviour were retained as significant predictors of attachment status (Fuertes et al, 2009). Therefore, these types of coping may reflect potential emerging regulatory styles associated with specific infant social and emotional development outcomes.…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…These types of coping were related with future outcomes (Fuertes et al, 2009). Indeed, this study also reports that infants who exhibited more Positive coping behaviour responses during the all FFSF episodes at 3-months were more likely to be classified as secure at 12 months, whereas infants who exhibited more Negative coping responses during the FFSF were more likely to be classified as insecure-resistant, and infants who engaged in more Self-comforting coping behaviours during the FFSF were more likely to be classified as insecure-avoidant.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predictors of infant positive, negative and self-direct coping during face to face still-face in a Portuguese preterm sample

Fuertes¹,

Santos

Tronick

2012

Análise Psicológica

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Past studies found three types of infant coping behaviour during Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF): a Positive Other-Directed Coping; a Negative Other-Directed Coping and a Self-Directed Coping. In the present study, we investigated whether those types of coping styles are predicted by: infants' physiological responses; maternal representations of their infant's temperament; maternal interactive behaviour in free play; and infant birth and medical status. The sample consisted of 46, healthy, prematurely born infants and their mothers. At one month, infant heart rate was collected in basal. At three months old (corrected age), infant heart-rate was registered during FFSF episodes. Mothers described their infants' temperament using a validated Portuguese temperament scale, at infants three months of corrected age. As well, maternal interactive behaviour was evaluated during a free play situation using CARE-Index. Our findings indicate that positive coping behaviours were correlated with gestational birth weight, heart rate (HR), gestational age, and maternal sensitivity in free play. Gestational age and maternal sensitivity predicted Positive Other-Direct Coping behaviours. Moreover, Positive Other-Direct coping was negatively correlated with HR during Still-Face Episode. Self-directed behaviours were correlated with HR during Still-Face Episode and Recover Episode and with maternal controlling/intrusive behaviour. However, only maternal behaviour predicted Self-direct coping. Early social responses seem to be affected by infants' birth status and by maternal interactive behaviour. Therefore, internal and external factors together contribute to infant ability to cope and to re-engage after stressful social events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Predictors of infant positive, negative and self-direct coping during face to face still-face in a Portuguese preterm sample

Fuertes¹,

Santos

Tronick

2012

Análise Psicológica

Self Cite

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Maternal perinatal representations and their associations with mother–infant interaction and attachment: A longitudinal comparison of Portuguese and Brazilian dyads

et al. 2019

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Prior research in Western countries (mostly the US, Canada and northern Europe) indicates that mothers' representations are associated with mother–infant interaction quality and their child's attachment security later in the first year. Fewer studies, however, have evaluated whether these associations hold for mother–infant dyads in other countries, such as Brazil and Portugal. Although these countries share a similar language and culture, they differ on societal dimensions that may affect parenting attitudes and mother–infant relationships, such as economic stress, social organisation, social policy, and the availability of services for young families. In this longitudinal study, we followed two independent samples of Brazilian and Portuguese mother–infant dyads from the perinatal period to 12 months post‐partum. We assessed mothers' perinatal representations using semi‐structured interviews in the first 48 hours after the infant's birth, and evaluated the associations of these representations with mother interaction quality at 9 months and infant attachment at 12 months. Results were similar in each country, corroborating prior research in single Western countries: Mothers with more positive perinatal representations were more sensitive to their infants during free play at 9 months and were more likely to have infants classified as securely attached at 12 months.

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Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors

Antunes,

Alves,

Martelo

et al. 2023

Infant Mental Health Journal

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A growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational, familial/demographic, and perinatal predictors of attachment in a sample of 63 Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm (VEPT, <32 gestational weeks) and their mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. One‐third of the mothers had social/family risk factors (e.g., single parent, immigrant, unemployed, low education, and/or low income). At 3 months (corrected age), dyads were observed during social interaction in the Face‐to‐Face Still‐Face paradigm (FFSF) and during free play. At 12 months, mother‐infant dyads were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Over half (58.7%) of the infants were classified as insecurely attached. Social‐Positive Oriented regulatory behavior pattern, higher maternal sensitivity, higher infant cooperation during free play, number of siblings and an absence of social/family risk factors were associated with attachment security. Perinatal variables were unrelated to attachment. Findings indicate that both relational and social contextual factors contribute to attachment in this biologically vulnerable sample.

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Infant Coping and Maternal Interactive Behavior Predict Attachment in a Portuguese Sample of Healthy Preterm Infants

Cited by 53 publications

References 41 publications

Predictors of infant positive, negative and self-direct coping during face to face still-face in a Portuguese preterm sample

Predictors of infant positive, negative and self-direct coping during face to face still-face in a Portuguese preterm sample

Maternal perinatal representations and their associations with mother–infant interaction and attachment: A longitudinal comparison of Portuguese and Brazilian dyads

Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors

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