The effect of mothers' social support and life changes on the stimulation of their children in the home.

The relationship between mothers' life changes, social support, and the preschool home environment of their children was analyzed three years after all study children were discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit. The number of reported life changes occurring to mothers since the births of the children in the group was not related to the amount of home stimulation mothers provided their children; however, mothers reporting more social support provided a more stimulating home environment unrelated to the number of life changes.