Maternal responsiveness of primiparous mothers during the postpartum period: age differences

Abstract

Variables influencing maternal responsiveness of primiparous mothers in the postpartum period were explored. Forty mothers, aged 17 to 24, were randomly assigned to either a control group, or to a group with one of two experimental conditions: additional information given mothers about the sensory capacity of neonates, or additional postpartum contact with their infants. Age differences in maternal responsiveness were also examined. Fourteen dependent measures of maternal behavior were obtained from video-taped sessions of mothers watching their infants. In addition, lateral preference of mothers for their infant following midline presentation was also noted. At the time of hospital discharge (a mean time of 3.5 days following birth) no differences were found on the dependent measures for either experimental condition. The age of the mother was isolated as a variable influencing maternal readiness. Mothers were divided into three age groups: low (17 and 18 years, N = 17), middle (19 and 20 years, N = 10), and high (21 to 23 years, N = 13). Age effects upon the 15 measures were assessed. The results suggest that there is a "critical" age when a mother may develop maternal readiness. Mothers 19 years of age and older demonstrated significantly more maternal responsiveness toward their infants than did mothers 18 years and younger.