Early maternal perceptions and child development: A comparison between two subgroups in Israel

Abstract

This study compares the links among maternal idealization of the neonate, the assignment of early cognitive attainments to children, and the actual developmental outcome of the infant at 3 months of age in two subgroups in Israel. Mothers of 133 normal healthy neonates from two ethnic groups participated in the study. It was found that Ashkenazi (Western) mothers tended to view their newborn in a more favourable way than the Sephardic (Oriental) mothers. Among the latter group, an idealized perception was associated with better developmental progress of the infant.