The Relationship between Infant Growth, Infant-Mother Attachment, and Maternal Sensitivity among Mali’s Dogons
Type de matériel :
96
Extending previous research, this study investigates the link between infant growth in an undernourished population and the quality of the mother-infant relationship. Participants were 22 mother-infant pairs of the Dogon ethnic group of rural Mali. At 11 months, infants’ average weight for age was 76.2% of NCHS norms. Their height for age was 92.7% of NCHS norms. The quality of the attachment relationship was assessed using the Strange Situation. Maternal Responsivity was measured as the average time the mother took to respond to her infant’s cries across two observations. The effect size of the relationship between infant attachment security and infant growth rate was moderate (r =.41) but not significant because of the small sample size. The clearest finding was the signficant relationship (p =.01) between severe infant undernutrition and the (extended) time it took the mother to respond to her infant’s distress cues. Possible explanations for the findings are discussed as well as implications of the research for policy and fieldwork.
Réseaux sociaux