Mothers' Ratings of Infant Temperament: Relation to Neonatal Latency to Soothe by Pacifier

Latency to soothe by a pacifier in the neonatal period was assessed for 107 full-term infants. When the infants were 9 and 12 months old, their mothers rated their temperament on standardized questionnaires. Correlations were computed between the neonatal latencies to soothe and the temperament ratings. When compared with neonates who soothed more quickly, neonates who took longer to soothe were likely to be rated at 9 months as more active, more rhythmic, more approachful to new situations, and more adaptable; and at 12 months as more approachful, more pleasant in mood, and more distractible. The results are discussed in terms of developmental stages and individual variability in maturation, a shared underlying dimension of behavior for motor activity and emotionality, and a link across time between objective ratings of behavior and maternal views of infant temperament.