Temperament of the infant with myelomeningocele.

This preliminary study examined the temperament of infants with myelomeningocele. Mothers of infants with myelomeningocele rated their infants as less active, more adaptable, and more approachable than mothers of matched control infants, and tended to rate their infants as more positive in mood. In addition, the older the mother, the more likely she was to see her infant as more approachable, more adaptable, less intense, less negative, and with a higher threshold for stimulation. Older mothers also tended to rate their infants as less active and more rhythmical. Mothers with more education rated their infants as more positive in mood and with a higher threshold to stimulation than mothers with less education.