Fomentando gestos simbólicos en infantes: impacto sobre el estrés y la autoeficacia materna

Abstract

The intentional development of symbolic gestures in normal infants through a systematic intervention program has showed multiple benefits for the child’s language, cognitive and social-emotional development. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the possible effect on maternal stress and maternal self efficacy perception of this type of intervention on infants. To this end, 90 Chilean mothers from low socioeconomic status, with and without intervention, were assessed and followed. The first assessment was conducted when the infants were 5 to 9-months-old, and repeated when children were 12 to 18 months old. Mothers of those in the gestures training group were instructed in symbolic gestures and encouraged to use them with their children. Mothers of the infants in the non-intervention control group knew nothing about symbolic gestures. Comparisons between both groups indicated principally higher stress levels in the mothers of the intervention group. These results are contradictory with the results of other studies, then possible explanations for such effects are discussed.