Factors of particular
importance to the infant’s development
of interdependence behaviors
are nurturance, interaction, presence of
other in the physical environment, and
developmental age and tasks. The
preterm infant’s innate coping mechanisms
are indeterminate at birth with no
or few acquired mechanisms yet
learned. An important complicating
factor is the preterm infant’s immature
neurological functioning. The immaturity
of this regulator subsystem limits
the efficacy of the infant’s reflex
adaptive and physical responses to
extrauterine life. Concurrently, the
preterm infant’s cognator (coping subsystem)
learned response is influenced
primarily by intrauterine learning (if
learning occurs during intrauterine
life), or by learning in response to the
many noxious stimuli in the NICU.
These learned responses may or may
not promote health and assist in adaptation
to extrauterine life.