Poster #155 - Changes in Co-Regulation Over Time in Full-Term and Very Low Birthweight Preterm Infant-Mother Dyads

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Parenting & Parent-Child Relationships

Integrative Statement

Interactions with caregivers form the foundation from which infants’ socio-emotional abilities develop. Interactions can be examined dynamically through co-regulation (mutual adjustment of behavior to facilitate communication; Fogel, 1993). Co-regulative differences have been identified between full-term and very low birthweight (VLBW)/preterm infant-mother dyads at 6-months of age (Doiron & Stack, 2017). However, the development of co-regulation into early childhood in at-risk populations remains unclear. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine: 1) differences in co-regulation between full-term and VLBW/preterm infant-mother dyads beyond 6 months, and 2) differences in co-regulation over time.
Mothers and their full-term (n = 23) and VLBW/preterm (n = 17) infants participated. The VLBW/preterm infants were screened for medical issues, making them a healthy sample. Dyads were visited in their homes when infants were 12-, 18-, and 48-months-old. During each visitation mother-infant dyads engaged in a 15-minute free play task with standardized, age-appropriate toys. Mothers were asked to play naturally, as they typically would. These recorded interactions were observationally coded for co-regulation using Fogel et al.’s (2003) Revised Relational Coding System, which includes the following patterns: 1) symmetrical (both interactive partners are engaged and contributing to their interaction), 2) asymmetrical (both partners are engaged, but only one contributes), 3) unilateral (one partner is engaged, while the other is disengaged), 4) unengaged (both partners are disengaged from each other), and 5) disruption (miscommunication occurs between partners, and results in emotion dysregulation in one or both partners).
Analyses were conducted on proportions of time dyads spent in each pattern of co-regulation at each time point. A mixed 2 (group) x 3 (time) x 5 (patterns of co-regulation) ANOVA was conducted. Findings revealed a significant main effect of co-regulation (F [1.28, 104.57] = 869.02, p < .001, eta-squared = .96), and a significant interaction between co-regulation and time (F [2.75, 104.57] = 82.30, p < .001, eta-squared = .68). However, no significant interactions were found between co-regulation and group. Simple effects analyses indicated that dyads engaged in more symmetrical co-regulation at 18-months (M = 74.05) and again at 48-months (M = 92.38) than at 12-months of age (M = 53.32). Conversely, dyads engaged in less unilateral co-regulation at 18-months (M = 20.55) and at 48-months (M = 3.51) than at 12-months of age (M = 34.30). Asymmetrical co-regulation increased from 12- (M = 10.43) to 18-months (M = 3.80), but not to 48-months.
Our findings demonstrate that both full-term and VLBW/preterm infant-mother dyads become increasingly engaged and active over the first 4 years of life. Our findings allude to an important shift occurring in late infancy and early childhood, whereby dyads become more capable in their co-regulation. The lack of co-regulative differences between groups is likely due to the low medical risk of the VLBW/preterm sample. These findings are promising and suggest that VLBW/preterm dyads begin to show similar co-regulative skills to their full-term peers after their first year. Taken together, healthy VLBW/preterm dyads may overcome their initial risk status to adequately co-regulate their interactions by 12-months of age.

Authors

• Kelly Doiron, Concordia University
  Presenting Author

• Nicole Atkinson, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Priya Bhatia, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Samantha Bouchard, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah Al-Kawas, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Dale M. Stack, Concordia University
  Non-Presenting Author