ABSTRACT
Preterm birth can be traumatic for some mothers, involving feelings of grief over the hoped-for full-term pregnancy. In this longitudinal study, we interviewed 50 mothers of preterm infants, using the reaction to diagnosis interview when their child was 1 month and 18 months old. We examined change and stability in resolution status over time. Additionally, we explored possible predictors of resolution trajectories between 1 and 18 months. Findings indicated that resolution at 1 month was not yet common. The rate of resolution at 18 months was 62.6%, compared with 38.2% at 1 month. Prenatal precursors of preterm birth, lower medical neonatal risk, and lower maternal stress at 1 month significantly differentiated mothers who attained resolution as early as at 1 month from those who were unresolved at 1 and 18 months. Lower maternal stress at 1 month was the only predictor that significantly differentiated initially unresolved mothers who later attained resolution from those who remained unresolved at 18 months. Discussion focuses on maternal stress, which may mark a subgroup of mothers of preterm infants who are at risk of being unresolved through the first 18 months, and who may benefit from resolution-focused intervention.
Subject(s)
Infant, Premature , Premature Birth/psychology , Resilience, Psychological , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Female , Grief , Humans , Infant , Interviews as Topic , Longitudinal Studies , Mother-Child Relations/psychology , Object Attachment , Risk Factors , Socioeconomic Factors , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Investigation into the earliest signs of autism in infants has become a significant sub-field of autism research. This work invokes specific ethical concerns such as use of 'at-risk' language, communicating study findings to parents and the future perspective of enrolled infants when they reach adulthood. This study aimed to ground this research field in an understanding of the perspectives of members of the autism community. Following focus groups to identify topics, an online survey was distributed to autistic adults, parents of children with autism and practitioners in health and education settings across 11 European countries. Survey respondents (n = 2317) were positively disposed towards early autism research, and there was significant overlap in their priorities for the field and preferred language to describe infant research participants. However, there were also differences including overall less favourable endorsement of early autism research by autistic adults relative to other groups and a dislike of the phrase 'at-risk' to describe infant participants, in all groups except healthcare practitioners. The findings overall indicate that the autism community in Europe is supportive of early autism research. Researchers should endeavour to maintain this by continuing to take community perspectives into account.
