Parent distress, parent behavior, and infant distress during pediatric immunizations [electronic resource] /

by Bernard, Rebecca S.

Parent Distress, Parent Behavior, and Infant Distress during Pediatric Immunizations Rebecca S. Bernard Infant procedural distress historically has been ignored, and the importance of reducing infant distress only recently has been addressed. To understand and manage infant procedural distress, it is essential to examine the correlates and potential predictors of this distress. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of parent distress on infant procedural distress, the effects of parent behavior on infant distress, and the combined impact of parent distress and behavior on infant distress for 37 parent-infant dyads. Results demonstrated that infant measures were not intercorrelated, only parent self-report measures were intercorrelated, and several measures of parent distress correlated with measures of infant distress. Additionally, hugging was positively associated, whereas distraction (during the immunization phase) was negatively associated with infant distress. Finally, several parent behaviors were negatively correlated with parent distress measures. Several treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed. iii