Parental behaviors supporting child development in mothers of children with sex chromosome trisomies

Sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs) are genetic conditions caused by the presence of an additional sex chromosome. While recent studies have focused on analyzing the early competencies of children with SCTs, relatively few have investigated aspects of parent-child interaction. No studies have yet examined how parents support the development of children with SCTs. This study aims to (1) identify differences in supportive parenting behaviors between mothers of children with SCTs and mothers of typically developing (TD) children, and (2) observe these behaviors longitudinally at 8 months (T1) and 24 months (T2). Participants included 36 Italian mother-child dyads (19 with SCTs and 17 TD). At both T1 and T2, ten-minute semi-structured play interactions were video-recorded and coded using PICCOLO. At 8 months, mothers in the SCT group demonstrated fewer responsive and teaching behaviors than mothers in the TD group, and exhibited fewer encouraging behaviors at 24 months. However, longitudinally, the same mothers exhibited significantly more responsive and teaching behaviors at T2 than at T1. In conclusion, while awareness of their children's condition, or differences in children's behavior, may affect how mothers interact with their children with SCTs, these mothers also exhibit parenting skills that could benefit from targeted interventions to support their children, who are more likely to exhibit developmental delays.