Poster #89 - Coparenting in the NICU and Home: Triadic Interactions in Families With Preterm Versus Full-Term Infants

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Family Context & Processes

Integrative Statement

Previous research has demonstrated that preterm infants have shorter attention spans and gaze less frequently at caregivers (Arpi & Ferrari, 2013). In addition, their interactions with caregivers are low in joint attention and synchronicity (Bozette, 2007; Kmita et al., 2014). Though sparse, research on the effects of premature birth on triadic interactions yielded inconsistent findings. While Gatta and colleagues (2017) reported lower quality triadic interactions in families with preterm compared to full-term toddlers, Gueron Sela and colleagues (2015) did not find such differences in family interactions with 6-months-olds. Previous studies with preterm infants did not focus on coparenting nor did they observe triadic family interactions in the NICU. The present study addressed these shortcomings by observing coparenting in families with preterm infants during NICU hospitalizations and after discharge during interactions in their homes. This study aimed to determine whether the quality of coparenting in the NICU predicted post-discharge coparenting dynamics at 3 months of corrected infant age. A second aim was to compare post-discharge coparenting in families with preterm infants with coparenting in families with full-term infants.

Coparenting dynamics were observed during the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP, Fivaz-Depeursinge et al., 1999) in a sample of 32 two-parent families of 3-months-old infants. Fourteen families were recruited after their infants’ premature birth at 24 to 34 weeks of gestational age; 18 families were recruited from childbirth classes before they had full-term infants. NICU families were first observed during the LTP 14 or more days after their admissions to the NICU. Depending on infants’ medical needs, parents interacted with infants placed either in their basinets or their incubators. By 3 months from their expected due dates, all NICU families had been discharged and were observed during the LTP in their homes. Families with full-term infants were also observed during the LTP in their homes when infants were 3 months old. Triadic interactions in the NICU and at home were coded using an adapted version of the Coparenting and Family Rating Scales (McHale et al., 2001).

Positive correlations were found between coparenting dynamics observed in the NICU and post-discharge at home (see Table 1) suggesting that coparental competition and cooperation, parental investment and family warmth observed in the NICU forecasted subsequent coparenting interactions at home. In addition, a few significant differences emerged between coparenting interactions observed in families with full-term infants compared to coparenting observed in families of preterm infants. Families with preterm infants showed less verbal sparring and greater maternal and paternal investment in play compared to families with full-term infants. Caregivers of preterm infants also demonstrated greater structuring than caregivers of full-term infants.
In conclusion, caregivers of preterm infants may compensate for their infants’ lack of active participation in triadic interactions by increasing their investment in and structuring of interactions, which may help or hinder the formation of supportive coparenting alliances. The quality of coparenting observed in families during their NICU hospitalizations predicted coparenting after families transitioned home suggesting that interventions should focus on building supportive coparenting alliances before families are discharged.

Authors

• Regina Kuersten-Hogan, Assumption College
  Presenting Author

• Jacleen Charbonneau, Assumption College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Allison Shea, Assumption College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Maria Kalpidou, Assumption College
  Non-Presenting Author