Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
Volume 25, Issue 6 , Pages 794-800, November 1986

Patterns of Attachment among Preterm Infants of Varying Biological Risk

Dr. Plunkett is Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Assistant Research Scientist, Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan. Dr. Meisels is Professor, School of Education and Research Scientist, Center for Human Growth and Development. Drs. Stiefel and Pasick during the time of this study were Research Assistants, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Michigan. Dr. Roloff is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Holden Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University of Michigan Medical School

Received 5 June 1985; accepted 4 September 1985.

Article Outline

The attachment relationships of 33 high-risk premature infants, all with moderate to severe respiratory illness and hospitalizations of more than 1 month at birth, are compared to the attachment patterns of 23 healthy, premature infants who were initially hospitalized for less than 1 month. Infants with respiratory illness and moderate to lengthy hospitalizations displayed a significantly different pattern of attachment that was more anxious-resistant (C) (36% vs. 9% C relationships) than that of infants in the healthy, premature group. Moreover, the pattern of attachments of the healthy preterm group was statistically indistinguishable from the attachment relationships reported by Ainsworth for her normative Baltimore study. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that high-risk preterm birth uniquely and specifically shapes the quality of the care giving relationship into the second year of life.

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 This research was supported by a faculty research award from the Rackham Graduate School of the University of Michigan. The authors would like to thank the parents and children who participated in this study. They are also grateful to L. Alan Sroufe and S. Wayne Duncan for coding the attachment tapes, and L. Alan Sroufe for his advice throughout this study, and David R. Cross for his valuable statistical consultation.

PII: S0002-7138(09)60197-7

doi:10.1016/S0002-7138(09)60197-7

Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
Volume 25, Issue 6 , Pages 794-800, November 1986

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