Abstract

The purpose of the present work aims at investigating the distribution of maternal repre¬sentations in two groups of women - the first one with preterm birth and the second one with term birth - in order to assess their influence on the quality of the dyadic interaction during the first 6 months of child's life. For this aim a group of 68 mothers with preterm birth and a group of 51 mothers with term birth have been selected. The two groups have been administered with the irman semi-structured clinical interview in order to assess the maternal representations in the fourth month after birth. Subsequently, a videotape of the mother-child interactions has been realized in the sixth month after birth. It has been conducted in natural settings and coded using the eas emotional availability scales. The results highlighted a prevalence of non-integrated/ambivalent maternal representations and an intrusive, non-structured and less sensitive interaction within the group of mo¬thers with preterm birth. In addition, it has been noted that the women with a restricted/disinvested representation are extremely passive and indulgent and therefore not able to impose limits and rules. The data provide with guidelines to plan psychological support interventions in order to promote a better adaptation to the parental role and the deve¬lopment of an adequate child-caregiver relationship in a situation that might be virtually disorganizing.