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Attentional Prioritization of Infant Faces in Parents: The Influence of Parents' Experiences of Care.

ABSTRACT: Infant faces are prioritized by the attentional system in parents, resulting in a greater cognitive engagement in terms of response time. However, many biological, contextual and environmental factors relating to this cognitive mechanism have been left unexplored. To fill this gap, this study aims to (i) confirm that infant faces engage more attention compared to adult faces; (ii) investigate whether the attention to infant faces is affected early care experiences of parents; (iii) explore the effect of parents' sex by taking the amount of involvement with early childcare into consideration. 51 mothers and 46 fathers completed a modified Go/no-Go task, a brief sociodemographic questionnaire, the short version of the Adult Parental Acceptance-Rejection scale, and an ad-hoc question relating to the amount of parental involvement with early childcare. Parents' response times were slowed in the presence of infant versus adult faces. Parents whose mother was perceived as more sensitively accepting were more engaged by infant cues. By considering the amount of early parental involvement, the sex of parents did not significantly interact with the type of face. These findings provide new insights on the attention process in response to infant cues in parents and suggest that the investigation of experience-based factors may shed further light on this topic.

SUBMITTER: Gemignani M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9819530 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Attentional Prioritization of Infant Faces in Parents: The Influence of Parents' Experiences of Care.

Gemignani Micol M Giannotti Michele M Schmalz Xenia X Rigo Paola P De Falco Simona S

International journal of environmental research and public health 20221228 1

Infant faces are prioritized by the attentional system in parents, resulting in a greater cognitive engagement in terms of response time. However, many biological, contextual and environmental factors relating to this cognitive mechanism have been left unexplored. To fill this gap, this study aims to (i) confirm that infant faces engage more attention compared to adult faces; (ii) investigate whether the attention to infant faces is affected early care experiences of parents; (iii) explore the e ...[more]

PMID: 36612848

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Project description:IntroductionSinging fosters emotional connections, attachment, bonding, and language development in infants. Prematurely born infants, however, are at risk of missing this vital communication, impacting neurodevelopment and family wellbeing, especially during prolonged hospital stays. Kangaroo care provides physiological and emotional support, while Creative Music Therapy (CMT) has demonstrated positive effects on neurodevelopment, parental wellbeing, and attachment. The Singing Kangaroo project, a Swedish-Finnish multi-center randomized controlled trial (RCT), investigated the impact of parental singing during kangaroo care. This qualitative follow-up study explores these findings through the lens of Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence (SOC) model.MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 families (20 intervention group, eight control group) at their infant's 5-month corrected age. The intervention group received CMT twice weekly during kangaroo care for 4 weeks in the NICU, while the control group received standard care. Data were analyzed inductively, followed by deductive categorization within the SOC framework, focusing on its three core components: Manageability, Comprehensibility, and Meaningfulness.ResultsParents in the intervention group reported enhanced understanding of how singing fosters attachment and boosts their self-esteem, aligning with increased manageability and comprehensibility. Control group parents also experienced joy in singing, which positively influenced family wellbeing, albeit less extensively. Across both groups, singing was described as a meaningful activity that strengthened parent-infant bonding and promoted emotional connection within the family.ConclusionParental singing during kangaroo care, particularly when supported by a trained music therapist, enhances parents' sense of coherence by fostering comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. This study highlights the long-term benefits of integrating CMT into family-centered NICU care to support both infants' neurodevelopment and family wellbeing.

Dataset Information

Attentional Prioritization of Infant Faces in Parents: The Influence of Parents' Experiences of Care.

Publications

Attentional Prioritization of Infant Faces in Parents: The Influence of Parents' Experiences of Care.

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