This study describes Puerto Rican mothers' perceptions of and emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to premature and fullterm birth using Lazarus' theory of stress as the theoretical framework. Twenty mothers of premature and twenty mothers of fullterm infants were selected as a convenience sample from three Puerto Rican hospitals during the first fifteen days after delivery. The variables were measured using a Subject Data Sheet, a Structured Interview, and Spanish versions of the Profile of Mood States (POMS) scale and the Rotter Internal External Locus of Control Scale (RIELCS). The reliability scores of the POMS' subscales ranged from.84 to.92. The RIELCS' Cronbach Alpha reliability was.56; therefore, the data on locus of control were not analyzed.

The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the SPSS computer program. The two groups were similar in age, level of education, financial pressures, parity, social support, family size, and members of household. Mothers of premature infants differed from mothers of fullterm infants in their belief in destiny ($chisp2$ = 8.81, p $<$.01), main source of income ($chisp2$ = 4.4, p $<$.05), level of stress at the onset of labor and delivery (U = 95.5; Z = $-$2.84, p $<$.05), first visit to infant (U = 64; Z = $-$3.69, p $<$.05), and in their emotional responses (tension t = 2.54, p $<$.05; depression t = 2.78, p $<$.05). The mothers of premature infants also had more negative cognitive (U = 161.0; Z = $-$2.50, p $<$.05) and behavioral responses (U = 70; Z = $-$3.56, p $<$.01) than mothers of fullterm infants. When recalling their first visit to the baby mothers of premature infants perceived their infants as suffering pain or severe discomfort, whereas mothers of fullterm infants perceived their infants as well or in some discomfort caused by unmet physiological needs or lack of mothering.

A content analysis of the interviews supported the notion that Puerto Rican mothers of premature infants had more negative emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to premature birth. In addition, Puerto Rican mothers were found to use religion in response to stressful situations.