抄録
The paper of Chisholm et al. (1978) reported that newborn irritability assessed with the Brazelton Scale was related to maternal blood pressure during pregnancy. This irritability, among behavioral characteristics, is recognized as one of the most important factors that have a significant influence on infant-environment interactions in the course of its development. In order to explore the relationships between some perinatal factors, including maternal blood pressure, and newborn behavior, the present study was designed to investigate whether newborn behavior assessed on the basis of the state change during the sucking experiment of a tube-like nipple had any relationship with the perinatal factors represented in terms of perinatal risk scores and maternal blood pressure. The results obtained are as follows : (1) there was a statistically significant negative correlation of perinatal risk scores with the scores of "adaptation", one of the three behavioral patterns designated as such by us on the factor analytic basis; and (2) there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the maximum M.A.P. (Mean Arterial Pressure) in the 2nd trimester during pregnancy and the frequency of state change, and a statistically significant positive correlation between the maximum M.A.P. in teh 2nd trimester and the scores of "adaptation" mentioned above. From these findings it is suggested that maternal blood pressure, not to speak of perinatal risk factors, may exert some influence on newborn behavior such as irritability even in the different directions, that is, not only in negative as Chisholm et al. mentioned but also positive ways.
