Psychosocial risk mothers: Early mother‐child interaction and behavioural disturbances in children at 8 years of age

Mother-child interaction in a group of women with psychosocial risks, identified during pregnancy, was assessed at birth, when the infants were 6 months old, and again when they were 18 months old. Presence of behavioural disturbances in the children was assessed when they were 8 years of age. The at-risk index group was comprised of 45 mothers and their children, with the risk criteria consisting of alcohol/drug abuse, psychiatric problems, and disadvantageous social circumstances. Another 57 mother-child pairs lacking in risk criteria comprised a reference group. Most aspects of mother-child interaction were shown to be significantly poorer in the index group than in the reference group at the three points of assessment during infancy. At 8 years of age, the index children, especially the boys, were found to display significantly more behavioural disturbances than the reference children. A significant correlation was also found in the index group, but not in the reference group, between the quality of mother-infant interaction at birth and the extent of behavioural disturbance in children at 8 years of age. Overall, the results suggest that identification can be made, even during pregnancy, of children who are at risk of poor interaction with mothers during infancy and at risk of behavioural problems later in development.