Parent-child interaction and attention regulation in children born prematurely.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this pilot study was to understand attention behaviors in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) children within the context of parent-child interactions and their relation to the child's independent performance.


METHODS
Parent-child and child-alone puzzle matching tasks, demographics, and IQ were measured in a sample of 15 4-year-olds who weighed <1000 g at birth and were free from major disability.


RESULTS
A self-regulated and efficient strategy during the parent-child puzzle was related to using an efficient strategy when working alone. Attention regulation during the parent-child puzzle was related to accuracy in the child-alone task. Parents appeared to be regulating attention appropriately.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the mechanisms of attention regulation in ELBW children could lead to specific interventions to support parents in strengthening their children's self-regulatory functioning.
Davis
Deborah Winders
DW
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, KY, USA. dwdavis@louisville.edu
Burns
Barbara
B
Snyder
Elizabeth
E
Dossett
Dena
D
Wilkerson
Shirley A
SA
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001724:Birth Weight; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D012944:Social Support