Correlates of parenting on a neonatal intensive care unit: maternal characteristics and family resources.
The association of maternal characteristics, family resources, and receipt of prenatal care with parenting behaviors observed in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU; n = 383) was assessed. The parenting behavior of mothers not receiving prenatal care (n = 128) was compared to that of mothers of the preceding and subsequent admissions (n = 256) by retrospective chart review. Parenting variables included frequency of visits to the NICU and evaluative ratings of parents' involvement with their infant. Parenting of the no-prenatal-care group was significantly less favorable than the control on all comparisons. Factor analysis supported a priori grouping of parenting variables. A stepwise multiple regression of maternal and family characteristics to the factor-derived variable, parenting, showed significant contributions for prenatal drug use and father involvement. Pediatric interventions assessing maternal social and behavioral characteristics are proposed.
Giblin
P T
PT
Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine.
Poland
M L
ML
Waller
J B
JB
Ager
J W
JW
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors