%0 Journal Article
%T A Norwegian prospective study of preterm mother–infant interactions at 6 and 18？months and the impact of maternal mental health problems, pregnancy and birth complications
%A Are Hugo Pripp
%A Aud R Misund
%A Per Nerdrum
%A Stein Br？ten
%A Trond H Diseth
%J -
%D 2016
%R 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009699
%X Objective Pregnancy, birth and health complications, maternal mental health problems following preterm birth and their possible impact on early mother–infant interaction at 6 and 18？months corrected age (CA) were explored. Predictors of mother–infant interaction at 18？months CA were identified.

Design and methods This prospective longitudinal and observational study included 33 preterm mother–infant (<33 gestational age (GA)) interactions at 6 and 18？months CA from a socioeconomic low-risk, middle-class sample. The Parent–Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA) scale was used to assess the mother–infant interaction.

Results ‘Bleeding in pregnancy’ predicted lower quality in preterm mother–infant interaction in 6 PCERA scales, while high ‘maternal trait anxiety’ predicted higher interactional quality in 2 PCERA scales and ‘family size’ predicted lower interactional quality in 1 PCERA scale at 18？months CA. Mothers with symptoms of post-traumatic stress reactions, general psychological distress and anxiety at 2？weeks postpartum (PP) showed significantly better outcome than mothers without symptoms in 6 PCERA subscales at 6？months CA and 2 PCERA subscales at 18？months CA.

Conclusions Our study detected a correspondence between early pregnancy complications and lower quality of preterm mother–infant interaction, and an association between high levels of maternal mental health problems and better quality in preterm mother–infant interaction
%U https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/5/e009699