Infants exposed to intimate partner violence: Mothering, gender, and cognitive development.

摘要

Although gender and mothering are critical factors in the development of infants exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV), the majority of research has focused on school-age and adolescent populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the moderating effect of gender in the relationship between mother-infant interaction and infant development. Maternal report was used to measure infants' cognitive and social functioning, while mother-infant interaction quality was assessed through an observational measure. Participants were 44 mothers and their infants (4 to 43 months of age). Male infants showed poorer development of competencies than their female counterparts. Moderator analysis for gender indicated that the association among mother-infant interaction and infant development was significantly stronger for boys than for girls. Analysis examining age, gender by age, and infant competencies revealed no significant effects. Implications for clinical practice are considered, with special attention paid to women as mothers.