Patterns of Attachment among Preterm Infants of Varying Biological Risk

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.