The Role of Antenatal and Postnatal Maternal Bonding in Infant Development

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

doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2021.08.024

The Role of Antenatal and Postnatal Maternal Bonding in Infant Development

J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2022 Jun;61(6):820-829.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.08.024. Epub 2021 Sep 20.

Affiliations

¹ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia.
² Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
³ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
⁴ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Australia.
⁵ National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; The British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, The University of British Columbia, Canada.
⁶ Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; The Sydney Children's Hospitals Network at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.
⁷ National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Australia.
⁸ Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia; University of Melbourne, 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: 34555489
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.08.024

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.

Keywords: infant development; longitudinal; maternal-infant bonding; perinatal; postnatal.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Child Development
Cohort Studies
Depression, Postpartum*
Female
Humans
Infant
Mother-Child Relations* / psychology
Mothers / psychology
Object Attachment
Pregnancy