The Effect of Maternal Stimulation on the Development of Premature Twins† 1310

A developmental disadvantage was noted in a group of premature twins due to reduced maternal stimulation and interaction as compared to singleton controls. Eight twins (BW 1516 +/- 247g; GA 1 +/- 1wks) were compared to 39 singletons (BW 1691 +/- 367g; GA 32 +/- 2 wks) at one and 8 months after discharge during home visits. The two groups were medically (Parmalee Medical Risk Factor Index:75 +/- 12 vs 76 +/- 15) and demographically (Income: 25 +/- 14K vs 30 +/- 16K) comparable. Examiners blind to the hypothesis obtained 30 minutes of spontaneous behavior on each visit and scored every 15 seconds for a variety of maternal-infant interactions (maximum possible occurrences per behavior=120). At 12 and 18 months corrected age, infants were assessed on the Mental Development Index (MDI) of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development. The results of the study shown below suggest the home environment of premature twins may account for some of the developmental disadvantage noted. We speculate that additional home support would be compensatory. Table