title: FATHERS' AND MOTHERS' REPRESENTATIONS OF THE INFANT: ASSOCIATIONS WITH PRENATAL RISK FACTORS.
abstract: Parents' representations of their infants consist of parents' subjective experiences of how they perceive their infants. They provide important information about the quality of the parent-infant relationship and are closely related to parenting behavior and infant attachment. Previous studies have shown that parents' representations emerge during pregnancy. However, little is known about prenatal (risk) factors that are related to parents' representations. In a prospective study, 308 mothers and 243 fathers were followed during pregnancy and postpartum. Prenatal risk factors were assessed with an adapted version of the Dunedin Family Services Indicator (T.G. Egan et al., ; R.C. Muir et al., ). At 26 weeks' gestation and 6 months' postpartum, parents' representations of their children were assessed with the Working Model of the Child Interview (C.H. Zeanah, D. Benoit, L. Hirshberg, M.L. Barton, & C. Regan). Results showed stability between pre- and postnatal representations, with fathers having more disengaged representations than did mothers. In addition, prenatal risk factors of parenting problems were associated with the quality of parents' prenatal (only in mothers) and postnatal representations. This study provides valuable information concerning parents at risk of developing nonbalanced representations of their children. In clinical practice, these families could be monitored more intensively and may be supported in developing a more optimal parent-infant relationship.
authors.affiliation: Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Charlotte M J M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vreeswijk
authors.affiliation: Catholic University of Leuven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Catharina H A M
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Rijk
authors.affiliation: Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A Janneke B M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.affiliation: Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Virenze, Centre for Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, The Netherlands.|Herlaarhof, Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vught, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hedwig J A
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: van Bakel
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Erziehungsprobleme; Facteurs de risque prénatal; Pränatale Risikofaktoren; Repräsentationen; Schwangerschaft; Säuglingsalter; WMCI; Working Model of the Child Interview; embarazo; factores de riesgo prenatales; grossesse; infancia; infancy; nourrisson; parenting problems; pregnancy; prenatal risk factors; problemas de crianza; problèmes de parentage; representaciones; representations; représentations; 乳児期; 兒童採訪的工作模式(WMCI); 出産前の危険因子; 妊娠; 嬰兒期; 子どもの作業モデル面接; 懷孕; 產前風險因子; 表徵; 表象; 親職困難; 養育問題