31

Many recent studies have shown that premature birth is frequently associated with specific psychological upsets in both children and parents that require early intervention. The objective of the present study is to examine maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms and the maternal representation of child attachment in a population of two-year-old children born prematurely. The sample included 38 mothers of premature children who were compared with an equivalent group of mothers of children born at term. All mothers completed the Q-Set Attachment questionnaire (Waters and Deane, 1985), which is a shortened version of Strayer’s (2004) questionnaire, which assesses children’s attachment behavior. The “Perinatal Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Questionnaire” was also administered in order to identify symptoms of maternal post-traumatic stress. Results confirm the link between premature birth and maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms two years after birth. All mothers presenting symptoms of post-traumatic stress were mothers of premature children. Examining the typology of the mothers’ representation of attachment as a function of the child’s birth status reveals that mothers of prematurely born children describe their offspring as less exploring, more socially sensitive, and less autonomous than children born at term. Results also indicate a link between post-traumatic stress symptoms and children’s attachment. Increases in reports of maternal post-traumatic stress symptoms were associated with mothers considering their child as significantly more sensitive.