Intrauterine growth retardation: A preliminary behavioural intervention study

Abstract

A simple exploratory intervention was undertaken with a group of mothers whose infants had been born small-for-gestational-age (SGA). Information derived from an earlier study of SGA infant behaviour was given to half the subjects while the other half were given general information about infants. A group of mothers of appropriately-grown (AGA) infants was given the same information. Observations of infant-mother interaction patterns at two months of age indicated state and behavioural differences between SGA and AGA groups. However, differences were also found between the intervention SGA and control SGA dyads in state stability, infant and mother signalling, and levels of interaction, all in the direction of more optimal patterns of interaction for the intervention group.