Current study analyzes the relation between mother’s anxiety, pre-term neonatal status and developmental outcome in 12-month-old (corrected age) infants. Fourteen preterm children with very low weight at birth were assessed by Bayley-II Scales and mothers were evaluated by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Resolution problems, permanence of objects, intentionality, language and motor factors were significantly correlated with the child’s neonatal variables and with mother’s anxiety. The severest neonatal clinical risk has been linked to the child’s lowest performance with regard to permanence of object, language and broad motor factors. Mother’s highest anxiety level was significantly correlated with better performance on cognitive tasks and worst performance with motor and permanence of objects tasks. Mother’s anxiety showed to have differential effects on the infant’s development in certain areas. It may be a risk factor for gross motor development and a protection mechanism for cognitive development.
Preterm; development; anxiety
