Sensibilité et représentations des mères de nouveau-nés irritables

Researches studying the effects of neonatal irritability on the maternal sensitivity do not lead to concordant results. We study this relation by holding account of another factor: the representations which the mothers have of the behaviors of their child. We pose as first hypothesis that the mothers of very irritable babies are less sensitive than those of non-irritable children, intrusive and as second hypothesis that they represent their child like “difficult”. We observed the irritability of 37 babies, at 3 days, using the scale of Brazelton. The mothers filled out the questionnaire MABS whose aim is to evaluate their representations of the behaviors of the infant. At 2 months, we re-examined 27 dyads. We filmed a situation of “free play”. To evaluate the maternal sensitivity, we analyzed films according to Care-Index's of Crittenden and used the French version of the EITQ to study the maternal representations of the temperament of the child. The analysis of the data shows that at 3 days, there is a coherence between the behavioral evaluation of the newborn baby and the maternal representations, but no mother of very irritable babies represents their child like difficult. This result changes in 2 months, since they are the mothers of very irritable babies who represent their child like difficult. Fifty percent of the irritable infants to the birth and 7% non-irritable have intrusive mothers in 2 months. Thus, these results confirm our hypothesis.