The Relationship of Parental Knowledge of Development and Developmental Outcomes of Children Born Preterm

Date

2016-08

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Abstract

Despite the growing research on children born preterm, few studies have examined how parental knowledge of child development might impact the developmental outcomes for children born extremely preterm. To address this issue, this study examined whether parental knowledge of infant development explained incremental increases in prediction of child functioning in a sample of children born extremely preterm after controlling for other predictors of child functioning. Assessments were conducted in a high-risk infant follow-up clinic when children were 1-4 years chronological age. Thirty-one children and their parents were recruited and included in the analysis. The predictor measure was the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (MacPhee, 2002) and the outcome variable was the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III (Bayley, 2005). Control variables that were examined included children’s medical risk factors and parental experience with children, including sources of information for child development. This latter variable was measured by the Survey of Child Care Experiences (SCCE; MacPhee, 2002). Correlational and regression models indicated that parental knowledge provided unique contributions in child development beyond known medical risk factors and parent childcare experience for this at-risk group. Implications of the findings suggest that addressing deficits in parental knowledge could serve as a potentially important means of improving developmental outcomes for this vulnerable population.

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Keywords

Prematurity, Parental knowledge, Development

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