A Preliminary Study of Depressive Symptoms in Mothers of 3-Year-Old Prematurely Born Children.

This exploratory study examined the effects of maternal depressive symptoms on mothers' perceptions of their 3-year-old prematurely born children, interactive behaviors, and child outcomes. Mother and child interactive behaviors were coded from naturalistic observations in their homes. Education and marital status were found to be significantly related to maternal depressive symptoms. Factor analyses were conducted to determine the most prominent behaviors related to maternal depressive symptoms. In a small sample of mothers, the quality of the maternal-child relationship was negatively affected by elevated depressive symptoms. Mothers of prematurely born children may report depressive symptoms that continue into early childhood.