The temporal dimension in the understanding of maternal sensitivity in caregiver-infant interactions: The ‘Early Mother-Child Interaction Coding System’

The nature of mother–child interaction in autism and the maternal approach characteristics that elicit social response in children with autism were examined in two studies. Mother–child play sessions of 24 preschool children with autism and 24 typically developing preschoolers were compared in Study 1, and play sessions of 9 mothers with their autistic child and with their nonautistic child were compared in Study 2. Mother–child interactions were coded using the Approach Withdrawal Interaction Coding System to quantify maternal approach behaviors and child responses. Results of Study 1 indicate that, although the quantity of approaches did not differ between mothers with their autistic children and mothers with their nonautistic children, there were qualitative differences. Mothers used more physical contact, more high-intensity behaviors, and fewer social verbal approaches with autistic children. Results of Study 2 replicated these findings with mothers showing a similar pattern of approach toward their autistic children but not their nonautistic children. Although autistic children displayed lower contingency to maternal approaches in general, they showed greater responsiveness to approaches involving increased physical proximity and/or containing nonverbal object use. Mothers socially engaged both autistic and nonautistic children. The implications for parent training and intervention are discussed.

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Predictors of Sensitivity in Mothers of 8-Month-Old Infants

Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto) ◽

10.1590/1982-43272356201305 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 23 (56) ◽

pp. 311-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Patricia Alvarenga ◽

Maria Virginia Machado Dazzani ◽

Eulina da Rocha Lordelo ◽

Cristiane Ajnamei dos Santos Alfaya ◽

Cesar Augusto Piccinini

Keyword(s):

Postpartum Depression ◽

Maternal Mental Health ◽

Maternal Sensitivity ◽

Multiple Regression Model ◽

Third Trimester ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Mother Child Interaction ◽

Maternal Fetal Attachment ◽

Fetal Attachment ◽

The Impact

This longitudinal study investigated the impact of maternal mental health, including postpartum depression, and of maternal-fetal attachment, on maternal sensitivity when babies were eight months old. The study included 38 mother-infant dyads. The women answered the SRQ-20 and the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale in the third trimester of pregnancy, and the BDI, for evaluation of postpartum depression in the first month following birth. Maternal sensitivity was examined through an observation of mother-child interaction when babies were eight months old. The multiple regression model considering the three factors explained 18.6% of the variance in sensitivity, and only maternal-fetal attachment was a significant predictor. The results indicate the importance of interventions to promote the bond of pregnant women with their babies, which may even minimize possible harmful effects of postpartum depression on mother-child interaction.

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Language-specificity of motion event expressions in young Korean children

Language Interaction and Acquisition / Langage Interaction et Acquisition ◽

10.1075/lia.2.1.07cho ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 157-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Soonja Choi

Keyword(s):

English Learners ◽

Relevant Information ◽

Coding System ◽

Korean Children ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Form Function ◽

Mother Child Interaction ◽

Motion Event ◽

French And English

This paper examines the development of motion expressions in two Korean children. The database consists of bi-weekly to monthly recordings of spontaneous mother–child interaction in their home between ages 1:11 and 4;2. All expressions of motion, both spontaneous and caused, were analyzed following the coding system developed by Hickmann, Hendriks & Champaud 2009). Analyses include form–function relationships between the types of linguistic devices used and the components of Motion expressed (e.g. Path, Manner, Cause), as well as the semantic density of motion-relevant information within the clause. The results were then compared to those of French and English learners reported in Hickmann et al. (2009). verb-framed

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Assessing preschoolers interactive behaviour: A validation study of the “Coding System for Mother-Child Interaction”

Child Care Health and Development ◽

10.1111/cch.12572 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 644-650 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R. Baiao ◽

J. Baptista ◽

A. Carneiro ◽

R. Pinto ◽

C. Toscano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Validation Study ◽

Coding System ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Mother Child Interaction ◽

Interactive Behaviour

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The Cycle of Abuse: Emotional Availability in Resilient and Non-Resilient Mothers with Early Life Maltreatment

Psychopathology ◽

10.1159/000509904 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 53 (5-6) ◽

pp. 298-305

Author(s):

Emilia Louisa Mielke ◽

Corinne Neukel ◽

Anna Fuchs ◽

Karen Hillmann ◽

Anna-Lena Zietlow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Disorders ◽

Mental Disorder ◽

Early Life ◽

Maternal Sensitivity ◽

Emotional Availability ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Mother Child Interaction ◽

History Of ◽

Interaction Task ◽

And Control

Background: Early life maltreatment (ELM) has a high risk of transmission across generations, known as “the cycle of abuse.” ELM is also an important risk factor for developing mental disorders, and having a mental disorder increases the risk of child abuse. Both the abuse potential in mothers with ELM and in mothers with a history of mental disorders might be associated with a disturbed mother-child interaction. Objective: The current study examined differences in emotional availability between mothers with a history of ELM and previous or current mental disorders (non-resilient), mothers with ELM without mental disorders (resilient), and control mothers without ELM and without mental disorders. Methods: Thirty-three non-resilient mothers, 18 resilient mothers, and 37 control mothers and their 5- to 12-year-old children participated in a standardized mother-child interaction task. Videotaped interactions were rated by three independent, trained raters based on the Emotional Availability Scales (EA Scales) and compared between the groups. Results: The non-resilient mothers and their children showed reduced maternal sensitivity, structuring, non-intrusiveness, non-hostility, responsiveness, and involvement compared to the resilient mothers and their children and the control mothers and their children (p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.12). No differences on any of the EA Scales were found between resilient mothers and control mothers. Conclusions: These deficits in mother-child interaction in non-resilient mothers might contribute to mechanisms that could explain the cycle of abuse. Interestingly, resilient mothers, who did not develop a mental disorder despite having experienced ELM, did not show these deficits. Thus, prevention programs promoting resilience might be a key to break the cycle of abuse.

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A mother–child intervention program for adolescent mothers: Results from a randomized controlled trial (the TeeMo study)

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579420000280 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Christine Firk ◽

Brigitte Dahmen ◽

Astrid Dempfle ◽

Anke Niessen ◽

Christin Baumann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

High Risk ◽

Child Development ◽

Adolescent Mothers ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Maternal Sensitivity ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Mother Child Interaction ◽

Child Intervention

Abstract Children of adolescent mothers are a high-risk group for negative child development. Previous findings suggest that early interventions may enhance child development by improving mother–child interaction. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a mother–child intervention (STEEP-b) program in high-risk adolescent mother–infant dyads (N = 56) within a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Mother–child interaction was assessed at baseline (T1), postintervention (T2), and follow-up (T3). The primary outcome was the change in maternal sensitivity and child responsiveness from T1 to T2 that was measured by blinded ratings of videotaped mother–child-interaction with the Emotional Availability Scales. A modified intention-to-treat analysis was performed to examine the data. No intervention effect was found for maternal sensitivity, 95% CI [-0.59–0.60], p = .99, and child responsiveness, 95% CI [-0.51–0.62], p = .84. Maternal sensitivity and child responsiveness did not change over time in both groups (all ps > .05). A statistically nonsignificant, but potentially clinically meaningful difference emerged between rates of serious adverse events, SC: 4 (14.8%), STEEP-b: 1 (3.4%), possibly driven by different intensity of surveillance of dyads in the treatment groups. The current findings question the effectiveness of STEEP-b for high-risk adolescent mothers and do not justify the broad implementation of this approach.

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