Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate at what caregivers identify specific difficulties related to childcare. Two areas were studied: 1) Characteristics of night sleep during the first four months after birth, and 2) aspects of temperament related to specific difficulties to be handled at one-month-infant. The questionnaire was given to mothers caring for children from 1 month through 4 months. The number of useful answers needed to equal 239 (a 69.9% useful answer percentage of the replies).
From the results, the following facts were noted:
1. Mothers, in the group whose infants took more than 30 minutes of sleep latency, sensed more confusion and difficulty in handling their infants.
2. Significant differences among the 3 groups were noted in the state anxiety score by STAI on the basis of average 1 SD. The scores demonstrated increased difficulty in handling the infant among the mother's group with high anxiety.
3. Regarding the temperament of the child, there were 5 distinctive areas investigated including difficulty in handling; approach, adaptability, intensity, mood, and distractibility. The characteristics noted in these features were: hesitation with new stimulation, difficulty in becoming accustomed to change in the environment, loud crying, and a slow reaction to being soothed.
