Perinatal information on infant crying.
Research and postnatal service developments have begun to draw attention to the frequency with which mothers encounter difficulties in the management of infant crying. Such difficulties may have unfavourable long-term consequences for the mother-infant relationship. This study investigated the effect of providing first-time mothers with information and advice specific to cry management, during the in-stay period. A sample of 70 mothers was recruited antenatally and subjects allocated to an intervention or non-intervention group. All mothers were asked to complete a range of measures at 2 days postpartum and again 1 month after birth. A post-intervention comparison of groups indicated interesting evidence of a selective intervention effect. Results indicated that certain mothers in the non-intervention group were significantly more likely than intervention group mothers to experience higher levels of negative emotional arousal in response to crying. They were also more likely to adopt a passive response strategy to infant crying and to report generally higher levels of present state anxiety. The significance of the findings is discussed.