2007 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Examining attachment problems and traumatic reactions among abused infants in the baby home
| Project/Area Number |
17330138
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Educational psychology
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| Research Institution | Ibaraki University |
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Principal Investigator |
KAZUI Miyuki Ibaraki University, College of Education, Professor (20282270)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
MORITA Nobuaki University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Instructor (10251068)
KANEMARU Ryuta Ibaraki University, Graduate School of Education, Instructor (30361281)
ENDO Toshihiko University of Kyoto, Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, Associate Professor (90242106)
NAKAJIMA Satomi National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, Division Chief (20285753)
GOTO Motomichi Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Professor (90115569)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2005 – 2007
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| Keywords | abuse / attachment / traumatic reaction / infant institution / developmental test / observation |
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| Research Abstract |
We have studied influences of abuse on infants comparing between infants in an infant home and normal infants at usual homes. We were especially interested in attachment disturbances and traumatic reactions as well as trajectories of development. For assessing these variables, attachment problem behavior questionnaire was used asking caretakers to check infants' behaviors. Also for traumatic reactions, we assessed body surface temperature using a thermography, and heart rate variability. For developmental trajectories, we used developmental tests. We obtained abused infants in the baby's home tended to react differently in psychophysiological measures, and also developmental tests. Normal infants did better overall. For attachment assessment, we compared three groups in the baby's home depending on the reason of placement: separated from parents due to parental abuse, due to parental difficulties in child rearing, and due to parents' running away or serving a sentence in a jail. Attachment problems were worse among abused infants more than infants with other reasons. Most problematic aspects appeared that the quality of taking care of infants in the baby home was not good. Thus, infants who were placed in the home within a week of birth showed low scores on developmental tests just like abused infants and infants just arrived at the baby home. We presented several suggestions how to improve these conditions.
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