266769 Multiple Social-Environmental Risks and Mother-Infant Interaction among Mothers of Premature Infants

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 5:20 PM - 5:35 PM

Kristin M. Rankin, PhD , School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Camille Fabiyi, MPH, PhD Candidate , School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Rosemary White-Traut, PhD , College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Kathleen F. Norr, PhD , Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Nursing, Chicago, IL
  
     
Background: Prematurity is associated with developmental delays, behavioral problems, and poor maternal-infant interaction, and the consequences are often more serious for infants born into families with multiple social-environmental risks.

Objective: To understand whether individual or cumulative social-environmental risk factors are predictive of maternal-infant interaction.

Methods: Maternal data were obtained by interview and maternal-infant interaction was assessed at hospital discharge using the NCAST Feeding Scale. Mothers and premature infants (29-34 weeks gestational age, n = 102) with at least two of ten SE risks were enrolled. SE risks included: minority status (97%; African-American = 49%, Latina = 48%); poverty (<185% Federal Poverty Level, 91%); depressive symptoms/mental illness (53%); < high school education (37%); 2+ children <24 months (32%); high trait anxiety (21%); low social support (23%); age <20 (16%); disadvantaged neighborhood (37%); and 4+ children (13%). Linear regression was performed to explore the relationship between individual versus cumulative SE risk factors and maternal-infant interaction.

Results: The overall mean NCAST score was 59.3 (SD = 7.3). Two individual SE risks were related to poorer quality maternal-infant interaction: < high school vs ≥ HS education (mean = 56.8 vs 60.3, p = 0.03) and high vs low trait anxiety (55.2 vs 60.4, p = 0.004). Mothers with ≥ 6 SE risks had significantly lower NCAST scores compared to mothers with < 6 SE risks (54.9 vs 60.0, respectively p = 0.01).

Conclusions: Mother-premature infant dyads with multiple social-environmental risks demonstrated the poorest quality maternal-infant interaction and are a group especially in need of early intervention.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related nursing

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe patterns of socio-environmental risk factors in a sample of primarily African-American and Latina mothers of premature infants. 2. Discuss the relationship between having multiple social-environmental risk factors and mother-infant interaction.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a PhD in MCH Epidemiology and have been the evaluation director for this study for the past 5 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3426.0: Women, Maternal, and Infant Health