[Disorders of the mother-child relationship in newborn infants with low birth weight].

The influence of premature birth or intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) on the mother-child relationship has been studied in 80 children with birth-weight below 2000 g, treated in the Neonatology Unit of the Pediatric Department of Lausanne University. 40 children with birth-weight over 2500 g and without perinatal complications born in the Obstetrical Department of the same hospital were used as controls. The 80 infants with low birth-weight presented only minor neonatal disturbances and showed later on a normal psychomotor development. The mother-child relationship was evaluated by free and structured interviews accompanied by a questionnaire and by regular contacts throughout the first 12 months. With the exception of the professional work of the mother during and after pregnancy, all the family and social factors were not significantly different in the 3 groups. The mothers of premature children showed significantly more disturbances of their family relationship than the mothers in the control group. On the other hand, a significantly higher number of attachment problems is the only difference observed in the group of mothers of IUGR-babies. There was no mathematical correlation between these problems and the characteristics of the family and social-economic environment of the mothers. The importance of subjective, i.e. psychological, factors as cause of difficulties in the mother-child relationship is stressed.