Mothers' mood and perceptions regarding their preterm infants' behavioral state following a feeding intervention

Abstract A 2×3 repeated measures design was used with 22 mother–infant dyads to examine infants' state behavior, mothers' mood and perceptions immediately following and 1 week after a 7-day developmental intervention. During feeding infants who received a 1-week intervention showed less variability in their state behavior at 1-week post intervention (F=11.61, df=1, p =.003) and across time (F=7.401, df=2, p =.002) than control infants. The intervention and control groups' scores on the Positive PANAS and the intervention groups' scores on the Negative PANAS were related to infant state behavior at Time 2. Infant state behavior for the intervention group was related to mothers' perceptions at T 2 . After feeding , infants' state behavior was related to mothers' perception at T 2 and scores on the negative PANAS at Time 3. Mothers' mood and perception were related at T 2 for the intervention group.