Prevention and support to parenthood: a longitudinal study on the development of family interactions by the LTP procedure.

Background: The study combines the interactive-relational perspective and the Lausanne developmental systems approach, which focuses on the father-mother-infant primary triangle, beginning with its formation during pregnancy and is based on the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) observational paradigm. The aims of the study were to investigate a) the characteristics of the triadic interactions during pregnancy; b) the patterns of stability and change in the triadic family interactions from pregnancy to 9 months. Method: 100 non-refered primiparous families were recruited at child-birth courses. In addition to validated questionnaires, observational data were collected at time 1 (7th months of pregnancy) in the prenatal LTP, and at postnatal times 2 and 3 (4 and 9 months). Results: Aim 1: The Structure of the Play and the Intuitive Behaviours Scales seem the most representative dimensions in the prenatal period, which are also predictive of family interactions at 9th month post-natal (R2=.07; F(1,69)= 5.06, p=.028 (t=2.25; p=.028; β= .26). Aim 2: the multilevel analyses highlight an improvement of the family alliance over the first year. Findings show a linear relation between the time and the quality of family interactions (t=4.78; p<.001; B= 2.36), that improves by 2.35 point in each observational phase. Conclusion: Coparental capacities in pregnancy represent an interactive matrix for the construction of the early family relations in the first year and may be considered as protective factors in the child development of early triadic interactive abilities.