Maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development: A prospective cohort study

Genevieve A Le Bas; George J Youssef; Jacqui A Macdonald; Richard Mattick; Samantha J Teague; Ingrid Honan; Jennifer E McIntosh; Sarah Khor; Larissa Rossen; Elizabeth J Elliott; Steve Allsop; Lucinda Burns; Craig A Olsson; Delyse M Hutchinson

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.031

Maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development: A prospective cohort study

J Affect Disord. 2021 Feb 15:281:926-934. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.031. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia.
² Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
³ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
⁵ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; La Trobe University, The Bouverie Centre, College of Science, Health and Engineering, Bundoora, Australia.
⁶ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
⁷ Speciality of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.
⁸ National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁹ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Electronic address: delyse.hutchinson@deakin.edu.au.

PMID: 33229017
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.031

Abstract

Background: Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence suggest that maternal bonding and negative affect play a role in supporting infant social-emotional development (Branjerdporn et al., 2017; Kingston et al., 2012; O'Donnell et al., 2014; Van den Bergh et al., 2017). However, the complex pathways likely to exist between these constructs remain unclear, with limited research examining the temporal and potentially bi-directional associations between maternal bonding and negative affect across pregnancy and infancy.

Methods: The interrelationships between maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development were examined using multi-wave perinatal data from an Australian cohort study (N = 1,579). Self-reported bonding and negative affect were assessed at each trimester, and 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. The Bayley-III social-emotional scale was administered at age 12 months.

Results: Results revealed strong continuities in bonding and negative affect across pregnancy and postpartum. Small associations (β = -.10 to -.20) existed between maternal negative affect during pregnancy and poor early bonding. Higher postnatal maternal bonding predicted infant social-emotional development (β = .17).

Limitations: Limitations include a somewhat advantaged and predominantly Anglo-Saxon sample of families, and the use of self-report measures (though with strong psychometric properties). These limitations should be considered when interpreting the study findings.

Conclusions: Maternal bonding and negative affect are interrelated yet unique constructs, with suggested developmental interplay between mother-to-infant bonding and infant social-affective development.

Keywords: Maternal-infant bonding; antenatal; infant development; longitudinal; perinatal; postnatal.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Australia
Child
Cohort Studies
Depression, Postpartum*
Female
Humans
Infant
Mother-Child Relations
Mothers
Object Attachment*
Postpartum Period
Pregnancy
Prospective Studies