RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NEONATAL AND PEDIATRIC BIOPHYSICAL RISKS AND PARENTAL PSYCHOSOCIAL RISKS TO PRESCHOOL CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY FUNCTION.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 197
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Developmental.
Description: The purpose of this study was to describe the relative contributions of neonatal biophysical risks, pediatric biophysical risks, and parental psychosocial risks to preschool child development of premature infants and family functioning. Prior work identified the relationship between preterm infant biophysical risk and parental psychosocial risk but little was known concerning the relationship between family functioning and child development.

The framework guiding this study proposed that a constitutional vulnerability in the infant in combination with parental psychosocial stress influence parent-infant relationships. As a result of the bi-directionality of the relationship, developmental outcomes of the parents and the child are affected.

Sixty-five families with preschool children, ages four and one-half to five and one-half who were premature infants of less than 37 weeks gestation, participated in this descriptive study. Psychosocial risk variables were age, education, and occupation. Infant biophysical risk data included birth weight, gestational age, and length of stay in the nursery. Pediatric biophysical risk data included parental report of the child's health status and number of hospitalizations since discharge from the NICU. Study criterion variables were measured with the Family Environment Scale and the Minnesota Pre-kindergarten Inventory.

Results indicated that neonatal and pediatric biophysical risk variables and parental psychosocial risk variables were significant predictors of preschool child development variables self-help and fine-motor skills and the family functioning variable achievement. Family characteristics of high conflict, low organization, and high achievement were significantly predictive of the child's number comprehension. Family characteristics of low moral/religious orientation, high independence, high conflict, and low activity/recreational orientation were significantly predictive of child emotional problems. The primary implication for nurses is that assessment of the premature infant should be ongoing and include parental and family factors for the purpose of promoting optimal functioning in the child and family.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-01, Section: B, page: 0080.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1993.

School code: 0227.