Parental support and firstborn girls' adaptation to the birth of a sibling

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Abstract

This study asked how parental support influences firstborns' adjustment to and involvement with a new sibling. Fifty families with firstborn daughters (26–55 months old) were visited at home 6 to 10 weeks after the sibling's birth. During both visits, the mother reported on her firstborn's adjustement. Firstborn's involvement with the sibling was observed during the infant's bathtime. Mothers and fathers were also interviewed 4 to 8 weeks before and 3 weeks after the birth to report on the support they gave to their firstborn. Prenatal maternal support interacted with firstborns' level of prenatal distress to predict postnatal distress: Prenatally high-distress firstborns whose mothers provided little prenatal or postnatal support were the most distressed firstborns after the sibling's birth. Prenatal paternal support did not predict firstborns' postnatal distress, but postnatal paternal support did. Prenatally low-distressed firstborns who received high support were at least distressed. Thus, firstborns' postnatal distress was related to support from mothers before and to support from fathers after the sibling's birth. Moreover, parent support prenatally was most effective in reducing postnatal distress in prenatally high-distress firstborns, whereas parent support given postnatally was most effective in containing postnatal distress particularly for prenatally low-distress firstborns. Firstborns' involvement with the infant was associated with corresponding types of parental support, particularly that provided during the postnatal period. The results suggest that parenta support has a differential effect on distress and involvement. In some cases, parental support appears to promote adjustment and, in other cases, parental support appears to be shaped by the firstborn's needs.

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    ∗

    We thank the doctors and nurses who recruited families for the study and to the families and their children who gave so generously of their time. We also grateful to Frances Aboud, Thomas Schultz, Fred Genesse, Rhonda Amsel, Naomi Holobow, Robert Stewart, and the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions, Joyce Eklove for helping with data collection, to Suzette Clement for assessing reliability, and to Margaret Baratta for helping with many tasks. The research was supported by a grant from the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, McGill University. Laurie N. Gottlieb was supported by doctroral fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and from Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et l'Aide á la Recherche (Québec). The study is based on a dissertation submitted in July 1985, by the senior author to the Graduate Faculty, McGill University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

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    Copyright © 1990 Published by Elsevier Inc.