Forgotten survivors of intimate-partner violence: The role of gender and mothering in infant development.

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 in families of IPV. Maternal report was used to measure infants' cognitive and social functioning while mother-infant interaction quality was assessed through an observational measure. Participants consisted of 44 mothers and their infants (4-43 months of age). While male infants showed poorer fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social skills than did their female counterparts, comparable gross motor and communication skills were demonstrated. Moderator analysis for gender indicated that the association among maternal cognitive growth fostering and gross motor skills was significantly stronger for boys than it was for girls. No other moderator effects were detected. Analysis examining age, gender by age, and infant competencies did not reveal significant effects. Implications for clinical practice are considered, with special attention paid to women as mothers.
(Copyright © 2012 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.)