Relationship among Mother's knowledge of Infant development, Maternal Parenting Stress, Maternal Parenting Behavior and Infant Development

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship among the mother's knowledge of infant development, mother's parenting stress, maternal parenting behavior and infant development. Participations in this study included 2078 infants(1056 boys, 1022 girls) and their mother. The major results of this study were as follows: First mother's knowledge of infants showed positive effects on maternal parenting behaviors, and mother's parenting stress showed negative effects on maternal parenting behaviors. Second, maternal parenting behaviors and mother's knowledge of infants showed positive effect on infant development. But maternal parenting stress didn't show direct effect on infant development. In conclusion, maternal parenting behaviors partially mediated between mother's knowledge of infants and infant development, and fully mediated between mother's parenting stress and infant development.