Propriétés psichométriques de l’échelle Alarme Détresse Bébé (ADBB) appliquée à 81 enfants italiens

The aim of this study is to validate the Alarm Distress Baby Scale (ADBB), designed to assess relational withdrawal in infants aged 2-24 months, on a sample of 81 Italian children. The study has been carried out in the General Paediatric Outpatient Clinic of the University General Hospital Agostino Gemelli in Rome. Both paediatricians and psychologists used the ADBB scale during ordinary paediatric check-ups. First and second axes of the Zero-To-Three scale were used as Gold Standards. The cut-off of 5 and over (4/5) yielded the best validity (0.82) and specificity (0.85), as was previously found in the French validation. Axis II DC O-3 R disorders in the mother-infant interaction always lead to a positive ADBB score. ADBB scores over the threshold were associated with maternal postpartum depression. Positive correlations between infant birth type, breast-feeding, current psychiatric pathology in the mother, and total ADBB scores were found. These data confirm that both children born by caesarian, feeling less pain, and breastfed children, who had more intense physical contacts with the maternal body, and children having good relationship with the caregiver, tend to socialize better. The present study further confirms the psychometrical qualities and the clinical value of the ADBB scale and emphasizes the importance of being able to assess maternal postpartum depression when the infant shows signs of relational withdrawal.