Maternal Responsiveness in Mothers of Preterm Infants

This longitudinal study of maternal responsiveness included a sample 23 mothers of preterm infants. The mothers completed questionnaires at three intervals: 2 weeks postpartum, 2 weeks after the infant's discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit, and 3 months postpartum. Factors that have a potential effect on maternal responsiveness including postpartum depression, social support, stressors, self-esteem, maternal well-being, and maternal attitude were also examined. There were no significant changes in these variables or in maternal responsiveness over time. Social support and self-esteem were found to have a significant positive relationship with maternal responsiveness. Stressors had a significant inverse relationship with maternal responsiveness. There were no significant relationships between maternal well-being, postpartum depression, and maternal attitude about being a mother and maternal responsiveness. The findings suggest that although maternal responsiveness may be stable over time, it may be associated with other characteristics of the mother that need to be assessed.