Early maternal-infant interactions in adolescent and young adult mothers

UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Judith MacKay Penny (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Advisor
J. Allen Watson

Abstract: Children having children! Over a million American teenagers become pregnant every year and over half a million give birth. While ignored in the past, the problem has now become a "burning national concern." Teen parenting has been linked to various problems, including high rates of infant mortality and morbidity, social/economic risks to the family, and developmental risks to the child. This research investigated differences between 100 adolescent women and 100 young adult women expecting their first child. The subjects were interview during their third trimester of pregnancy, followed through the births of their infants, and observed interacting with their infants at 3-5 weeks post-partum. Based on the pre-partum data, a significant difference was found for knowledge about infants and infant care, with the young adult women possessing greater knowledge. The two groups did not differ on their perception of caretaking competence nor on their maternal-fetal attachment.

Additional Information

Publication
Dissertation
Language: English
Date: 1989
Subjects
Teenage mothers $x Attitudes
Young women $x Attitudes
Mother and infant

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