title: Perinatal information on infant crying.
abstract: Research and postnatal service developments have begun to draw attention to the frequency with which mothers encounter difficulties in the management of infant crying. Such difficulties may have unfavourable long-term consequences for the mother-infant relationship. This study investigated the effect of providing first-time mothers with information and advice specific to cry management, during the in-stay period. A sample of 70 mothers was recruited antenatally and subjects allocated to an intervention or non-intervention group. All mothers were asked to complete a range of measures at 2 days postpartum and again 1 month after birth. A post-intervention comparison of groups indicated interesting evidence of a selective intervention effect. Results indicated that certain mothers in the non-intervention group were significantly more likely than intervention group mothers to experience higher levels of negative emotional arousal in response to crying. They were also more likely to adopt a passive response strategy to infant crying and to report generally higher levels of present state anxiety. The significance of the findings is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Child Development Unit, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Downey
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Bidder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D003448:Crying / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education*; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D010556:Personality Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care