title: A Norwegian prospective study of preterm mother-infant interactions at 6 and 18 months and the impact of maternal mental health problems, pregnancy and birth complications.
abstract: Pregnancy, birth and health complications, maternal mental health problems following preterm birth and their possible impact on early mother-infant interaction at 6 and 18 months corrected age (CA) were explored. Predictors of mother-infant interaction at 18 months CA were identified.
  
  
  
  This prospective longitudinal and observational study included 33 preterm mother-infant (<33 gestational age (GA)) interactions at 6 and 18 months CA from a socioeconomic low-risk, middle-class sample. The Parent-Child Early Relational Assessment (PCERA) scale was used to assess the mother-infant interaction.
  
  
  
  'Bleeding in pregnancy' predicted lower quality in preterm mother-infant interaction in 6 PCERA scales, while high 'maternal trait anxiety' predicted higher interactional quality in 2 PCERA scales and 'family size' predicted lower interactional quality in 1 PCERA scale at 18 months CA. Mothers with symptoms of post-traumatic stress reactions, general psychological distress and anxiety at 2 weeks postpartum (PP) showed significantly better outcome than mothers without symptoms in 6 PCERA subscales at 6 months CA and 2 PCERA subscales at 18 months CA.
  
  
  
  Our study detected a correspondence between early pregnancy complications and lower quality of preterm mother-infant interaction, and an association between high levels of maternal mental health problems and better quality in preterm mother-infant interaction.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University College of Oslo and Akershus, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Aud R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Misund
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University College of Oslo and Akershus, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Stein
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bråten
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University College of Oslo and Akershus, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nerdrum
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University College of Oslo and Akershus, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Are Hugo
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Pripp
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine, University College of Oslo and Akershus, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Trond H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Diseth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002657:Child Development; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: MENTAL HEALTH; PERINATOLOGY; TRAUMA MANAGEMENT