OBJECTIVES: To evaluate Broussard's Neonatal Perception Inventory (BPNI), an instrument to measure the mother's perception and expectations regarding her newborn infant at immediate postpartum and one month afterwards in primiparous and multiparous women. METHODS: Prospective cohort of 27 multiparous and 29 primiparous mothers of healthy newborn infants. In the second day postpartum, mothers were asked about the difficulties they thought that babies would offer regarding specific behaviors: crying, spitting, feeding, elimination, sleeping and predictability. Answers were rated in a 5-point scale. Next, mothers were questioned about their own babies regarding the same items. After 30 days, the mothers were questioned again about her perception of most babies and their own baby regarding the same items. The results were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA considering the following main effects: time, group (primiparous and mul-tiparous), and subjects (mother's baby and most babies). RESULTS: Following birth, mothers expected their babies to have fewer difficulties in the daily activities than the ma-jority of the babies. These expectations were confirmed one month later for all items. There were no differences between primiparous and multiparous mothers. CONCLUSIONS: The Broussard's Neonatal Perception In-ventory was well understood and accepted by mothers and showed consistent results in this study. It can be used as a screening psychological tool to assess bonding between mothers and infants.
newborn infant; mother-child relations; bonding
