What is it about?
This is a prospective, longitudinal study with data collected at four time points, investigating how maternal psychiatric symptoms, substance abuse and maternal intrusiveness in interaction are related to early child language skills. Three groups of mothers were recruited during pregnancy (residential treatment institutions for substance abuse, psychiatric outpatient treatment, and well-baby clinics).
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Why is it important?
No group differences in receptive language at age 2 years were detected between children of mothers with substance abuse and those with comparison mothers. However, maternal intrusiveness in mother–child interaction at age 12 months was related to child expressive language at 2 years, even when controlling for sociodemographic risk factors.
Perspectives
The message is that when treating substance abuse and psychiatric issues among young mothers, there is a need for applying intervention models promoting sensitive caregiving in order to enhance child competence, such as expressive language skills.
Professor Lars Smith
University of Oslo
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Mother–Child Interaction and Early Language Skills in Children Born to Mothers with Substance Abuse and Psychiatric Problems, Child Psychiatry & Human Development, October 2014, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s10578-014-0512-0.
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