Maternal presence during children's routine immunizations: the effect of mother as observer in reducing child distress.
This study replicates and extends previous research examining the effect of mother presence versus absence on child distress in response to medical procedures. The effect of degree of maternal involvement during a routine immunization at a 5-year well-child visit to the pediatrician was examined. Behavioral observations of child distress and self-reported ratings of child affect were obtained in a repeated measures (pre, during, and post) design. Mother-child dyads (N=36) participated in one of four experimental conditions: (a) mother present as usual (routine), (b) mother absent (absent), (c) mother present as observer (watch), and (d) mother present as coping coach, using distraction (coach). Results support the efficacy of instructed, limited maternal involvement compared to routine procedures: Children in the watch condition showed less behavioral distress and their postinjection affect was more positive than children in the noninstructed, high maternal involvement, routine condition.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA.
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O'Laughlin
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Ridley-Johnson
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002662:Child Health Services; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003625:Data Collection; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011897:Random Allocation; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States