Emotion regulation from infancy to toddlerhood: Individual and group trajectories of full‐term and very‐low‐birthweight preterm infants

Adaptive emotion regulation begins with infants operating jointly their parents to regulate emotions, which fosters the development of independent regulation. Little is known about when or how this transition occurs, impact factors such as parental availability premature birth status. The current study examined use self-soothing, attentional distraction, and dyadic in full-term healthy very-low-birthweight (VLBW) preterm infant-mother dyads at 5 ½, 12, 18 months age. At ½ months, participated Still-Face procedure. 12 two free-play interactions, a puzzle task, an interference task. Emotion behaviors were coded using systematic, observational systems. Results indicated that used less self-soothing distraction more they aged. Increased earlier ages predicted increased subsequent ages. Toddlers independent, attention-seeking, escape behavior during periods maternal unavailability. There no significant differences between VLBW/preterm toddlers’ behaviors. from contribute understanding normative risk associated prematurity.