Abstract
Parental bonding (recollection of own parents' parenting), adult attachment, and mother–infant bonding are all closely related yet distinct concepts of the parent–child relationship, sometimes used interchangeably in the literature. This study aimed to examine the associations between these concepts in a longitudinal path analysis design. A total of 262 postpartum women who gave birth at the maternity ward of a large tertiary health center in Israel completed a demographic questionnaire, the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale (ECR), the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) at 1–4 days postpartum, and the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) at 2 months postpartum. Parental care factor (PBI) was found to be associated with mother–infant bonding (PBQ), directly and indirectly through insecure anxious attachment (ECR). Denial of autonomy factor (PBI) was found to be associated with mother–infant bonding (PBQ) only through insecure anxious attachment (ECR). Encouragement of behavioral freedom factor (PBI) was found to be associated with mother–infant bonding (PBQ) in a simple correlation but not in the complete model. The results highlight the intergenerational aspects of parenting and suggest that early childhood interventions with parents may have a long-term impact on child-rearing though generations, and by that on children's development.
Highlights
Parental bonding, adult attachment, and mother–infant bonding are central concepts of the parent–child relationship and are all related to children’s development, growth, and wellbeing
The current study aimed to examine the associations between parental bonding (PBI), adult attachment orientations, and mother–infant bonding (PBQ) among mothers, in a longitudinal design from childbirth to 2 months postpartum
Our findings indicate that parental bonding care factor was associated with mother–infant bonding both directly and indirectly through anxious attachment, while parental bonding denial of autonomy factor was associated with mother–infant bonding only indirectly through anxious attachment
Summary
Adult attachment, and mother–infant bonding are central concepts of the parent–child relationship (across generations) and are all related to children’s development, growth, and wellbeing. These similar yet distinct concepts are sometimes used interchangeably in the literature while not clearly and consistently treated as different concepts [1,2,3,4]. Using a longitudinal path analysis design, we examine whether women’s adult attachment orientations measured shortly after birth possibly mediate the associations between parental bonding (the new mother’s recollection of the way she was mothered) and mother–infant bonding (her cognitions and feelings toward her infant) at 2 months postpartum. We focused on the possible associations of mother– infant bonding with the mother’s caring model as evolving from her experiences with her own mother, experiences that may have shaped her internal working models of relationships— attachment orientations
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