A Longitudinal Investigation of Maternal Touching Across the First 6 Months of Life: Age and Context Effects

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Sample

N: 12 mothers and their full-term infants (eight male, four female)
Subject Ages: Birth to 2 years
Location: United States, a midwestern community
SES: Middle class
Eligibility: Not available
Additional:
- All mothers were over 21 years, had completed high school diplomas and beyond, and were from intact, middle-class families
- 11 Caucasian, one African American

Objective

To observe the overall duration of maternal touch and the types of touch employed by mothers across age (1, 3 and 5 1/2 months) and interaction context.

Variables Measured, Instruments Used

Design—Descriptive longitudinal

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Findings

Mothers provided diverse tactile stimulation to their infants, varying from passive touch to active and stimulating behaviors.
The amount and type of touch that mothers provided changed with the infant’s age and the interaction context.
Infant’s age influenced duration and types of touch mothers utilized.
Across age, a decrease in nurturing touch, patting and stroking was observed.
As the infants aged, there was an increase in tickling and static touch.

Limitations

Small sample size
Mother-infant interaction was only seen in two contexts and for five-minute periods.

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