Mothers' sensitivity to infant signals.

Abstract

Of all of the infant's signals, the cry is particularly influential in the developing pattern of mother-infant interaction. If a mother terminates crying successfully, she may gain confidence; if unsuccessful, she may begin to focus on her perceived ineffectiveness. Pediatricians and nurses who work with mothers of young infants need to carefully evaluate what mothers "think" about their successes and failures in managing daily child care. Helping mothers "reframe" perceptions of their infant may be a simple but powerful intervention to optimize their interactions.