Abstract
Prematurity and the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience pose unique risks to infant outcomes and parent psychological health. Harmonious parent-infant relationships in the NICU can buffer adversities associated with prematurity and promote children’s development and well-being. Identifying relationship challenges early allows opportunities to intervene and promote new patterns while the relationship is newly forming. We will recruit 20 parent-preterm infant pairs to understand brain (Electroencephalography), heart (Heart Rate Variability) and behavior (Emotional Availability) connections and explore their impacts on infant neurodevelopment and parent psychological health during the first three months of life. Examining parent-infant brain-heart-behavior connections provides a holistic understanding of how early parent-preterm infant relationships develop and the downstream effects of these relationships on infant and parent outcomes. Anticipated results will inform the design of future physical therapy programs that are holistic, relationally informed, developmentally grounded, and responsive to the unique needs of preterm infants and families.