Socioemotional Development Among Infants at High Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Early detection research now makes it possible to identify infants at high risk of cerebral palsy (CP) within the first five months of life. This PhD project examines socioemotional development and mother–infant interaction in this group through three studies. Study 1 maps existing research on children with CP and identifies substantial conceptual and methodological gaps in the literature. Study 2 shows that infants at high risk of CP exhibit more socioemotional difficulties across the first 15 months of life, and that early parenting stress is associated with more adverse outcomes. Study 3 demonstrates early differences in mother–infant interaction, including lower maternal acknowledging, higher intrusiveness, and reduced infant social engagement, with some patterns persisting over time. Together, the findings contribute with new knowledge about early socioemotional development in infants with neurodevelopmental risk.