Shedding further light on the effects of various types and quality of early child care on infant-mother attachment relationship: the Haifa Study of Early Child Care

Child Dev. 2002 Jul-Aug;73(4):1166-86. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00465.

Abstract

The Haifa Study of Early Child Care recruited a large-scale sample (N = 758) that represented the full SES spectrum in Israel, to examine the unique contribution of various child-care-related correlates to infant attachment. After controlling for other potential contributing variables--including mother characteristics, mother-child interaction, mother-father relationship, infant characteristics and development, and the environment--this study found that center-care, in and of itself, adversely increased the likelihood of infants developing insecure attachment to their mothers as compared with infants who were either in maternal care, individual nonparental care with a relative, individual nonparental care with a paid caregiver, or family day-care. The results suggest that it is the poor quality of center-care and the high infant-caregiver ratio that accounted for this increased level of attachment insecurity among center-care infants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Child Day Care Centers
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Care / psychology*
  • Israel
  • Male
  • Mother-Child Relations*
  • Object Attachment*
  • Psychology, Child*
  • Reactive Attachment Disorder / diagnosis
  • Reactive Attachment Disorder / psychology
  • Risk Factors
  • Social Environment