G. L. Le Bas, G. Youssef, J. Macdonald
Sep 17, 2021
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Influential Citations
19
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Quality indicators
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The affectional bond experienced by a mother towards her developing fetus/infant has been theorised 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 Bayley-III at 12 months. RESULTS Bonding predicted indicators of infant social-affective development, including social-emotional, behavioural, and temperamental outcomes. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate, increasing over the perinatal period (β=.11-.27). Very small effects were also identified in the relationship between bonding and cognitive, language, and motor development (β=.06-.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 preventative intervention.