title: Perceptions of vulnerability and variations in childrearing practices of parents of infants born preterm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine differences in Canadian, Norwegian, and Dutch parents' perceptions of vulnerability of their infants born preterm and their childrearing practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  This observational study included 62 infants born preterm (46% boys) and their parents. Parents completed the Beliefs About My Baby Scale and the Daily Activities of Infants Scale when infants were between 4 and 11 months corrected age. One-way analyses of variance were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents in the Netherlands perceived their infants as being more vulnerable than parents in the other countries (P < .001). The total Daily Activities of Infants Scale scores did not differ across countries. Parents who received therapy services had greater perceptions of their infants' vulnerability than parents not receiving services (P = .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prematurity stereotyping is not limited to North America. Service providers need to consider therapy for infants born preterm from a strength-based rather than disability perspective.
authors.affiliation: School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. djbartle@uwo.ca
authors.forename: Doreen J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Maria W G
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Nijhuis-van der Sanden
authors.forename: Bjørg
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fallang
authors.forename: Jamie Kneale
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Fanning
authors.forename: Samantha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doralp
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001034:Apgar Score; D002170:Canada; D002668:Child Rearing / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D009664:Norway; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D010465:Perception; D011594:Psychometrics; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior