Conclusion: Mother–toddler interaction and attachment security were
found to be similar in fullterm and moderately preterm healthy toddlers.
Our findings suggest that not the preterm birth itself but the medical,
developmental, and/or neurological consequences of prematurity may
affect the mother–toddler interaction. To explore the independent
effect of prematurity in mother–toddler dyadic relationship, longitudinally
designed studies are warranted.