Multidimensional sources of infant temperament.

Abstract

Previous research on infant temperament has implicated a variety of prenatal and perinatal conditions, but most studies have investigated a single source of infant variability. This study examined the impact of several prenatal and perinatal factors on infant outcome according to a conceptual system of hypothetical models of influence. Seventy-five couples expecting their first child were recruited and interveiwed in the last trimester of pregnancy, providing demographic data and measures of the pregnancy experience and expectations of parenting. Childbirth information was obtained from hospital records, and infant behaviors were measured at three days of age by the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale. Results indicate that the antecedent variables are themselves intercorrelated in that older, more highly educated, and financially secure couples are more likely to have a satisfying pregnancy and to be confident about childbirth and parenting than their young, more anxious counterparts. Two statistical methods--partial correlation and path analysis--were used to analyze relative relationships with infant behaviors. Results from both methods indicate that most of the antecedent variables (parental characteristics of age and socioeconomics, parental pregnancy orientation, and use of obstetric anesthesia) must be considered sources of infant behaviors. These findings thus demonstrate the imprecision of inferring a single causal pathway of parental or perinatal influence on infant temperament.