Differential Effects of Still-Face Interaction on Mothers of Term and Preterm Infants

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of still-face interaction on the affect, behavior, and perception in mothers of term and low-birth-weight preterm (gestational age <37 weeks and birth weight < 2,500g) infants. Thirty-five Taiwanese mothers and their healthy 2-month-old term and low-birth-weight preterm (corrected age) infants participated in the maternal still-face procedure. Mothers' perceptions of infant affect, their own affective experience, and parenting efficacy were obtained via video-playback interviews. Infant affect, maternal affect, and maternal behavior were also coded from videos using fine-grained behavioral coding strategies. Overall, the results showed that the perturbation of still-face interaction differentially affected the affect, behavior, and perception of mothers of term and preterm infants. Mothers of term, not preterm, infants accurately reported the still-face effect on their infants' affect. Although both groups of mothers reported similar changes in their affective experience that resembled the classic still-face effect on infants, mothers of term, not preterm, infants were observed to decrease their positive affect from before to after the still-face interaction. Furthermore, although neither groups of mothers did change their perceived and observed parenting efficacy from before to after the still-face interaction, mothers of term infants demonstrated greater responsive engagement than mothers of preterm infants. Finally, mothers' perceived affective positivity predicted perceived parenting efficacy both before and after the still-face interaction, after controlling for infant birth status and infant affective positivity perceived by mothers. The differential response in mothers of preterm infants indicated the needs for intervention. ? 2013 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.