Attachment disorganization among children in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Preliminary results. Issue 10 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pennestri, Marie-Hélène; Gaudreau, Hélène; Bouvette-Turcot, Andrée-Anne; Moss, Ellen; Lecompte, Vanessa; Atkinson, Leslie; Lydon, John; Steiner, Meir; Meaney, Michael J.; on behalf of the Mavan Research Team
• Is Part Of: Early human development. Volume 91:Issue 10(2015)
• Page Start: 601
• Page End: 606
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Fetus -- Periodicals; Neonatology -- Periodicals; Prenatal influences -- Periodicals; 612.65
• DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2015.07.005
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0378-3782

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="author" id="ab0005"> <title id="st0005">Abstract</title> <sec> <title id="st0010">Background</title> <p id="sp0005">Preterm children have been reported to be at higher risk to develop attachment insecurity.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0015">Aims</title> <p id="sp0010">The present study aimed to investigate potential differences in attachment security between newborns who were sent to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and those who were not, in a population of full-term children.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0020">Study design</title> <p id="sp0015">Participants (162 mother–child dyads) were part of a longitudinal study (MAVAN). Twenty-three of these children received special care at birth (NICU group). Attachment security was assessed at 36 months with the Strange Situation Procedure. Socio-economic status (SES), birth weight, maternal mood, maternal sensitivity, mental/psychomotor developmental indexes, Apgar scores, presence of complications during delivery and infant general health were assessed.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0025">Results</title> <p id="sp0020">In the No-NICU group, 55.4% of children were securely attached, 24.5% were insecure and 20.1% were disorganized. However, in the NICU group, 43.5% of children were securely attached, 8.7% were insecure and 47.8% were disorganized (χ<sup>2</sup> = 9.0; <italic>p</italic> = .01). The only differences between the 2 groups were a lower Apgar, more respiratory infections and more visits to walk-in clinic/hospital (<italic>p</italic>'s < .05) and a trend for lower SES and more ear infections in the NICU group. Logistic regressions revealed an odds ratio of 6.1 (<italic>p</italic> = .003) of developing a disorganized attachment after a stay in NICU, when controlling for these confounding variables.</p> </sec> <sec> <title id="st0030">Conclusion</title> <p id="sp0025">Newborns who were admitted to NICU have an odds ratio of about 6 to develop a disorganized attachment at 36 months. These preliminary results support the importance of supportive parental proximity and contact with the infant in the NICU and possible after-care.</p> </sec> </abstract>