Le Bas, Genevieve, Youssef, George, Macdonald, Jacqui A., Teague, Samantha, Mattick, Richard, Honan, Ingrid, Mcintosh, Jennifer E., Khor, Sarah, Rossen, Larissa, Elliott, Elizabeth J., Allsop, Steve, Burns, Lucinda, Olsson, Craig A., and Hutchinson, Delyse (2022) The Role of Antenatal and Postnatal Maternal Bonding in Infant Development. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 61 (6). pp. 820-829.

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Abstract

Objective: The affectional bond experienced by a mother toward her developing fetus/infant has been theorized to be a critical factor in determining infant developmental outcomes; yet there remains a paucity of research in this area, and a lack of high-quality longitudinal studies. This study aimed to examine the extent to which mother-to-infant bonding predicted infant development in a multi-wave longitudinal pregnancy cohort study (N = 1,347).

Method: Self-reported bonding was assessed using the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale at each trimester, and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale at 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. Infant development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) at 12 months.

Results: Bonding predicted indicators of infant social−affective development, including social−emotional, behavioral, and temperamental outcomes. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate, increasing over the perinatal period (β = 0.11-0.27). Very small effects were also identified in the relationship between bonding and cognitive, language, and motor development (β = 0.06-0.08).

Conclusion: Findings suggest that a mother’s perceived emotional connection with her child plays a role in predicting social−affective outcomes; prediction may not extend to other domains of infant development. Maternal bonding may therefore be a potentially modifiable predictor of infant social−affective outcomes, offering important considerations for preventive intervention.

Item ID:	83631
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1527-5418
Keywords:	infant development,longitudinal,maternal-infant bonding,perinatal,postnatal
Related URLs:	https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri...
Copyright Information:	© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.
Funders:	National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Projects and Grants:	NHMRC Project Grant #GNT630517, NHMRC Research Fellowship #APP1197488, NHMRC Research Fellowship #APP1175086, NHMRC Research Fellowship #APP1045318, NHMRC Research Fellowship #APP1021480
Date Deposited:	17 Sep 2024 02:16
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