Triadic interactions in families with preterm children: a comparative study with children born at term

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive analysis of the groups of families with children born preterm and at term

	n	%	Mean	SD
Preterm
Sex
Males	17	65.4
Females	9	34.6
Degree of prematurity
Preterm	6	23.1
Very preterm	11	42.3
Extremely preterm	9	34.6
Birth weight
Normal	2	7.7
Low	5	19.2
Very low	9	34.6
Extremely low	10	38.5
Disability
Yes	7	26.9
No	19	73.1
Age (months)			22.3	12.17
At term
Sex
Males	17	65.4
Females	9	34.6
Age (months)			22.2	14.97

Table 2 Comparison of preterm group with control group (infants born at term)

Significant LTP scales	Preterm group (n=26)		Control group (n=26)		t	df	P-value
	μ	δ	μ	δ
LTP total score	87.27	11.007	99.88	6.89	−4.954	41.981	<0.001
Part 1	21.27	4.21	25.69	1.32	−5.112	29.866	<0.001
Part 2	23.12	3.398	25.69	2.589	−3.076	50	0.003
Part 4	19.42	4.474	23.5	3.24	−3.763	50	<0.001
Postures and gazes	8.77	2.065	11.04	0.999	−5.044	36.098	<0.001
Role implication	9.85	1.759	10.85	1.19	−2.401	43.909	0.021
Parental scaffolding	9.92	1.495	11	1.47	−2.62	50	0.012
Infant’s involvement	10.27	1.43	11.42	0.902	−3.48	42.18	0.001
Coconstruction	8.42	2.176	10.73	1.185	−4.749	38.635	<0.001
Validation	10.54	1.24	11.77	0.43	−4.781	30.915	<0.001
Family warmth	8.42	2.157	11.46	1.104	−6.393	37.251	<0.001

Abbreviation: LTP, Lausanne Trilogue Play.

Figure 1 Trend of the LTP parts in the preterm and at term groups.

Abbreviation: LTP, Lausanne Trialogue Play.

Table 3 Descriptive analysis of QUIT, PSI-SF, FES, MSPSS, and LTP results

Instrument	Scales	Sample size	Mean score	SD
		Child’s age subgroups
QUIT	Social orientation	1–12 months (5)	4.45	0.58
		12–36 months (17)	4.02	0.79
		3–6 years (4)	4.33	0.49
	Inhibition to novelty	1–12 months (5)	2.35	0.69
		12–36 months (17)	2.45	0.67
		3–6 years (4)	2.71	0.34
	Motor control activity	1–12 months (5)	2.89	0.93
		12–36 months (17)	3.59	0.52
		3–6 years (4)	3.81	0.81
	Positive emotionality	1–12 months (5)	4.93	0.7
		12–36 months (17)	4.86	0.99
		3–6 years (4)	4.19	0.51
	Negative emotionality	1–12 months (5)	2.96	1.08
		12–36 months (17)	2.63	0.9
		3–6 years (4)	3.06	1.04
	Attention	1–12 months (5)	4.43	0.62
		12–36 months (17)	4.2	0.82
		3–6 years (4)	4.03	0.47
		Parents
PSI-SF	PD	Mothers (25)	25.73	7.242
		Fathers (25)	24.77	7.906
	P-CDI	Mothers (25)	19	5.692
		Fathers (25)	19.35	4.39
	DC	Mothers (25)	22.65	5.513
		Fathers (25)	21.81	5.004
	Total stress	Mothers (25)	67.38	15.784
		Fathers (25)	66	14.805
	Defensive responding	Mothers (25)	15.15	4.259
		Fathers (25)	14.54	5.346
FES	Total score	Mothers (25)	46.54	3.669
		Fathers (25)	45.42	7.083
MSPSS	Total score	Mothers (20)	68.6	11.062
		Fathers (20)	67.75	13.719
	Family	Mothers (20)	22.8	6.084
		Fathers (20)	23.9	5.119
	Friends	Mothers (20)	21	5.037
		Fathers (20)	21.05	4.979
	Significant others	Mothers (20)	24.3	3.629
		Fathers (20)	22.8	5.89
		Families
LTP	LTP total score	26	87.27	11.007
	Part 1	26	21.27	4.21
	Part 2	26	23.12	3.398
	Part 3	26	23.5	3.603
	Part 4	26	19.42	4.474
	Postures and gazes, sum	26	8.77	2.065
	Inclusion of partners, sum	26	11	1.265
	Support and cooperation, sum	26	10.08	1.853
	Role implication, sum	26	9.85	1.759
	Parental scaffolding, sum	26	9.92	1.495
	Infant’s involvement, sum	26	10.27	1.43
	Coconstruction, sum	26	8.42	2.176
	Validation, sum	26	10.54	1.24
	Family warmth, sum	26	8.42	2.157

Abbreviations: QUIT, Questionari Italiani del Temperamento; PSI-SF, Parenting Stress Index – Short Form; FES, Family Empowerment Scale; MSPSS, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; LTP, Lausanne Trilogue Play; PD, parental distress; P-CDI, parent–child dysfunctional interaction; DC, difficult child.

Table 4 Correlations between LTP and PSI-SF, FES, and MSPSS

Instrument	Respect for task’s structure and time frame	Parental scaffolding	Self-regulation	Conflicts and disruptive interferences	Infant involvement
Total stress	−0.388* mother		−0.427* father
PSI PD	−0.44* mother
PSI DC		0.409* mother			−0.415* father
PSI P-CDI			−0.397* father	0.404* father
FES mother		−0.393*
FES father		−0.56*

Note:

* P<0.05.

Abbreviations: LTP, Lausanne Trilogue Play; PSI-SF, Parenting Stress Index – Short Form; FES, Family Empowerment Scale; MSPSS, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; PD, parental distress; DC, difficult child; P-CDI, parent–child dysfunctional interaction.

Table 5 Pearson’s correlations between PSI-SF and QUIT, FES, and MSPSS

	PSI-SF mother				PSI-SF father
	PD	P-CDI	DC	Total	PD	P-CDI	DC	Total
QUIT
Attention	−0.581**			−0.5**	−0.405*	−0.425*		−0.442*
FES
FES mother		−0.517**	−0.467*	−0.554**
FES father	−0.402*				−0.557**		−0.547**	−0.587**
MSPSS mother
MSPSS total score	−0.497*	−0.625**	−0.629**	−0.688**
MSPSS family		−0.732**		−0.594**
MSPSS significant others	−0.498*		−0.476*	−0.502*
MSPSS father
MSPSS total score		−0.479*		−0.526*	−0.745**		−0.446*	−0.631**
MSPSS family					−0.73**			−0.558*
MSPSS friends		−0.549*		−0.516*	−0.494*			−0.495*
MSPSS significant others			−0.464*	−0.487*	−0.684**			−0.566**

Notes:

* P<0.05;

** P<0.01.

Abbreviations: PSI-SF, Parenting Stress Index – Short Form; QUIT, Questionari Italiani del Temperamento; FES, Family Empowerment Scale; MSPSS, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; PD, parental distress; P-CDI, parent–child dysfunctional interaction; DC, difficult child.