A mother's attentiveness early in life makes an important difference in tiny preemies' development, even through elementary school, according to a study published Monday.
Extremely underweight new-borns are at risk of serious medical complications immediately after birth, as well as long-term developmental problems. But research has shown that when mothers are consistently responsive to their babies' needs, these children are less likely to have developmental delays as pre-schoolers.
The new study, published in the journal Paediatrics, suggests that these benefits last throughout elementary school - particularly when a child did not have severe complications as a new-born.
Dr Karen E. Smith of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston led the research, part of an ongoing study of 360 children born between 1990 and 1992. Many of these children were born at a very low weight - around 2 pounds, on average - while the rest were normal-weight, term new-borns.
The researchers looked at whether a mother's responsiveness to her child during infancy and early childhood was related to intellectual development through the age of 10. They judged responsiveness by observing mothers and children interacting at home.