A idade gestacional é uma medida importante, pois quando o bebê nasce antes da 37ª semana há riscos para alterações do desenvolvimento. A relação dos bebês com pais fornece base para o desenvolvimento dos padrões de autorregulação, para o aumento da sensibilidade materna, e para o desenvolvimento do apego. Permeando a hipótese de que, a idade gestacional pode influenciar no desenvolvimento infantil, o objetivo do estudo foi verificar a influência da idade gestacional nas habilidades do desenvolvimento infantil (motora grossa, motora fina-adaptativa, pessoal-social e de linguagem) e a qualidade da interação na díade mãe-bebê, ao longo do primeiro ano de vida (três, nove e 12 meses). Cumpriram-se os princípios éticos. Participaram do estudo 28 díades mãe-bebê, com crianças nascidas entre a 32ª a 40ª semana de gestação, recrutadas ao nascimento. Aos três meses os familiares foram contatados para a primeira avaliação, que constou da aplicação do protocolo de anamnese, aplicação do procedimento Face to Face Still-Face (FFSF) e do Teste de Screnning de Desenvolvimento Denver II (TSDD-II). Aos nove meses repetiu-se a aplicação do FFSF, TSDD-II e foi verificada a qualidade da interação por meio do Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index (CARE-Index). Aos 12 meses repetiu-se a medida do desenvolvimento TSDD-II e foi aplicada o paradigma laboratorial da Situação Estranha (SE). O tratamento estatístico constou de análise descritiva e aplicação do Teste de Correlação de Spearman, Teste exato de Fischer, Teste de Mann-Whitney e Teste Anova de Medições Repetidas. Os resultados indicaram influência da idade gestacional nas habilidades do desenvolvimento infantil (motora grossa, motora finaadaptativa, pessoal-social e de linguagem), aos três, nove e doze meses, com valor maior nível de significância aos três meses. A qualidade da interação avaliada por meio do CARE-index, indicou predomínio de mães com alto nível de sensibilidade (81,82%). Os padrões de autorregulação avaliados por meio do procedimento FFSF indicaram que 57,14% da casuística apresentaram orientação social não positiva e 42,86% orientação social positiva aos três e aos nove meses 78,57% orientação social não positiva e 21,43% orientação social positiva. O padrão de Apego, avaliado pela SE, verificou apego inseguro para 60,71% e apego seguro em 39,29% da casuística. / Gestational age is an important baseline because when the infant is born before the 37th week there are risks for developmental changes. The relationship between infants and parents provides a basis for the development of self-regulation standards, for the increase of maternal sensitivity, and for the development of attachment. Permeating the hypothesis that gestational age may influence infant development, this study aimed to verify the influence of gestational age on infants developmental skills (gross motor, fine-adaptive motor, personal-social and language), and the quality of gestational age of the mother-infant dyad interaction during the first year of life (three, nine and 12 months). Ethical principles were fulfilled. The study included 28 mother-infant dyads, with children born between the 32nd and 40th weeks of gestation, recruited at birth. At three months old the family members were contacted for the first evaluation, which included the application of the protocol of anamnesis, application of the Face to Face Still-Face (FFSF) procedure and the Denver Development Screening Test II (DDST-II). At nine months the FFSF, DDST-II was repeated and the quality of the interaction was verified through the Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index (CARE-Index). At 12 months the DDST-II development measurement was repeated and the laboratory paradigm of the Strange Situation (SE) was applied. The statistical treatment consisted of descriptive analysis and application of Spearman\'s Correlation Test, Fischer\'s Exact Test, Mann-Whitney Test and Repeated Measures Anova Tests. The results indicated the influence of gestational age on infant\'s developmental abilities (gross motor, fine-adaptive motor, personal-social and language) at three, nine and twelve months, with a higher level of significance at three months old. The quality of the interaction evaluated through CARE-index, indicated predominance of mothers with a high level of sensitivity (81.82%). Self-regulation standards assessed through the FFSF procedure indicated that 57.14% of the case analysis had non-positive social guidance and 42.86% had positive social guidance at three, and at nine months 78.57% non-positive social guidance and 21.43% positive social orientation. The Attachment pattern, evaluated by the SE, found unsafe attachment to 60.71% and Secure attachment in 39,29% of the cases analysis.

A idade gestacional é uma medida importante, pois quando o bebê nasce antes da 37ª semana há riscos para alterações do desenvolvimento. A relação dos bebês com pais fornece base para o desenvolvimento dos padrões de autorregulação, para o aumento da sensibilidade materna, e para o desenvolvimento do apego. Permeando a hipótese de que, a idade gestacional pode influenciar no desenvolvimento infantil, o objetivo do estudo foi verificar a influência da idade gestacional nas habilidades do desenvolvimento infantil (motora grossa, motora fina-adaptativa, pessoal-social e de linguagem) e a qualidade da interação na díade mãe-bebê, ao longo do primeiro ano de vida (três, nove e 12 meses). Cumpriram-se os princípios éticos. Participaram do estudo 28 díades mãe-bebê, com crianças nascidas entre a 32ª a 40ª semana de gestação, recrutadas ao nascimento. Aos três meses os familiares foram contatados para a primeira avaliação, que constou da aplicação do protocolo de anamnese, aplicação do procedimento Face to Face Still-Face (FFSF) e do Teste de Screnning de Desenvolvimento Denver II (TSDD-II). Aos nove meses repetiu-se a aplicação do FFSF, TSDD-II e foi verificada a qualidade da interação por meio do Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index (CARE-Index). Aos 12 meses repetiu-se a medida do desenvolvimento TSDD-II e foi aplicada o paradigma laboratorial da Situação Estranha (SE). O tratamento estatístico constou de análise descritiva e aplicação do Teste de Correlação de Spearman, Teste exato de Fischer, Teste de Mann-Whitney e Teste Anova de Medições Repetidas. Os resultados indicaram influência da idade gestacional nas habilidades do desenvolvimento infantil (motora grossa, motora finaadaptativa, pessoal-social e de linguagem), aos três, nove e doze meses, com valor maior nível de significância aos três meses. A qualidade da interação avaliada por meio do CARE-index, indicou predomínio de mães com alto nível de sensibilidade (81,82%). Os padrões de autorregulação avaliados por meio do procedimento FFSF indicaram que 57,14% da casuística apresentaram orientação social não positiva e 42,86% orientação social positiva aos três e aos nove meses 78,57% orientação social não positiva e 21,43% orientação social positiva. O padrão de Apego, avaliado pela SE, verificou apego inseguro para 60,71% e apego seguro em 39,29% da casuística. / Gestational age is an important baseline because when the infant is born before the 37th week there are risks for developmental changes. The relationship between infants and parents provides a basis for the development of self-regulation standards, for the increase of maternal sensitivity, and for the development of attachment. Permeating the hypothesis that gestational age may influence infant development, this study aimed to verify the influence of gestational age on infants developmental skills (gross motor, fine-adaptive motor, personal-social and language), and the quality of gestational age of the mother-infant dyad interaction during the first year of life (three, nine and 12 months). Ethical principles were fulfilled. The study included 28 mother-infant dyads, with children born between the 32nd and 40th weeks of gestation, recruited at birth. At three months old the family members were contacted for the first evaluation, which included the application of the protocol of anamnesis, application of the Face to Face Still-Face (FFSF) procedure and the Denver Development Screening Test II (DDST-II). At nine months the FFSF, DDST-II was repeated and the quality of the interaction was verified through the Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index (CARE-Index). At 12 months the DDST-II development measurement was repeated and the laboratory paradigm of the Strange Situation (SE) was applied. The statistical treatment consisted of descriptive analysis and application of Spearman\'s Correlation Test, Fischer\'s Exact Test, Mann-Whitney Test and Repeated Measures Anova Tests. The results indicated the influence of gestational age on infant\'s developmental abilities (gross motor, fine-adaptive motor, personal-social and language) at three, nine and twelve months, with a higher level of significance at three months old. The quality of the interaction evaluated through CARE-index, indicated predominance of mothers with a high level of sensitivity (81.82%). Self-regulation standards assessed through the FFSF procedure indicated that 57.14% of the case analysis had non-positive social guidance and 42.86% had positive social guidance at three, and at nine months 78.57% non-positive social guidance and 21.43% positive social orientation. The Attachment pattern, evaluated by the SE, found unsafe attachment to 60.71% and Secure attachment in 39,29% of the cases analysis.

Objective 1: To examine the influence of maternal depression and/ or anxiety on infant, maternal and dyadic FFSF task performance Objective 2: To investigate the changes in infant and maternal FFSF task performance before and after Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) treatment of maternal depression / Background: Research suggests that postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) impact both mothers and their infants, leading to adverse behavioural outcomes across the lifespan. The face-to-face still-face (FFSF) task is a validated observational tool used to measure the quality of mother-infant interactions. This thesis aimed to investigate the differences in responses to the FFSF task between dyads consisting of mothers with PPD and/or PPA and healthy dyads. Another goal was to examine whether PPD treatment could improve mother and infant FFSF outcomes. Methods: A systematic search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Meta-analyses were conducted to examine the differences in infant, maternal and dyadic FFSF outcomes in mothers with PPD, PPA or comorbid PPD and PPA in comparison to healthy control dyads. Second, we examined whether group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for PPD could help improve infant and maternal FFSF outcomes. A case-control design study was conducted with three different assessment points (i.e., pre-CBT treatment, immediately after CBT and three months post-CBT). Results: Meta-analyses suggested that the infants of mothers with PPD display lower levels of positive affect during the play and reunion phases compared to the infants of healthy non-depressed mothers. Also, mothers with PPD may engage less positively with their infants at the reunion phase, and mother-infant dyads affected by PPD show less positive interactive matching during the play phase compared to healthy control dyads. Finally, object/environment engagement was higher in infants of PPA mothers compared to healthy controls at still-face. Conclusion: The results suggest that mothers with PPD and/or PPD (and their infants) may exhibit different interaction patterns compared to healthy dyads. Also, it appears that the benefits of CBT for maternal PPD may extend to their infants through reductions in maladaptive infant withdrawn behaviours to normal, healthy levels. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) are the most common mental health complications of birth. Apart from unfavourable effects PPD and PPA have on mothers, it may also impact the mother-infant relationship, leading to adverse infant outcomes. Given the relatively high prevalence of maternal PPD, PPA, and comorbid PPD and PPA, this thesis aimed to examine the differences in how mothers suffering from PPD and/or PPA and their infants coordinate their behaviour, in comparison to healthy mothers and their infants using a validated observational task (face-to-face still-face [FFSF] task). Another goal of this thesis was to investigate whether the benefits of maternal treatment for PPD with cognitive behavioural therapy may extend to infants and improve mother, as well as infant behaviour. These investigations may provide new insights on how maternal PPD and/or PPA affects mother-infant interactions, and consequently, infant socio-emotional development.