Parenting stress in mothers of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) and full-term infants: a function of infant behavioral characteristics and child-rearing attitudes.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the moderating effects of child-rearing attitudes on the relation between parenting stress and infant behavioral characteristics for mothers of very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) and full-term infants.


METHODS
Fifty-six 9-month-old infants (23 VLBW and 33 full-term) and their mothers were the participants. Mothers completed measures of parenting stress, child-rearing attitudes, infant temperament, and infant behavioral problems.


RESULTS
The VLBW infants had a higher frequency of behavioral problems, and their mothers reported more child health concerns than the mothers of the full-term infants. Regression analyses showed that the relation between parenting stress and infant distress was moderated at medium and high levels of parental strictness for only the VLBW infants.


CONCLUSIONS
The amount of stress the mothers of the VLBW infants experienced was a result of the congruence between their infant's behavioral characteristics and their own child-rearing attitudes.
Halpern
L F
LF
Dept. of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany 12222, USA. lhalpern@csc.albany.edu
Brand
K L
KL
Malone
A F
AF
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D002668:Child Rearing; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018730:Infant Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013694:Temperament