Mothers' social behaviours in the NICU during newborns' hospitalisation: an observational approach

The aim of this study was to investigate the individual differences in social behaviours in the NICU of mothers following the premature birth of their babies, and to verify whether these early behaviours predict later sensitivity at 3 months of the infant’s corrected age. Videos of mothers attending to the newborn in the NICU (at 15, 30 and 45 days post-partum) and during free interaction at home 3 months later were collected. During hospitalisation, multiple dimensions related to the mother and to the baby were assessed. Results show that the more severe the baby’s condition the more mothers tend to only focus on rather than speak to their baby. Physical closeness facilitated by the baby’s position as well as maternal security of attachment were positively associated with communicative behaviours, while different patterns of associations were found with traumatic symptoms of intrusion and avoidance following the premature birth, suggesting opposite effects of these two types of symptoms on the mothers’ behaviours. Controlling the attachment security, mothers’ smiling at the baby in the NICU predicted later sensitivity in interaction with their infants. These preliminary results may have important practical implications for the use of intervention programmes in the NICU.