Mother-child Attachment Research Articles

Prison nurseries: Experiences of incarcerated women during pregnancy

ABSTRACTThe rate of incarceration for women has risen dramatically in the past three decades. Many incarcerated women are pregnant upon incarceration and give birth in prison. Prison nurseries allow women to remain with their newborn babies within the prison for a specified span of time. Evidence suggests such programs increase mother–child attachment, improve parenting efficacy, and reduce participant recidivism. Through interviews with 27 formerly incarcerated women who gave birth while in prison, the present study compares the birth experiences of women participating in a prison nursery program and a group of women giving birth prior to implementation of the program.

THE IMPACT OF DEPRESSION ON MATERNAL RESPONSES TO INFANT FACES IN PREGNANCY.

ABSTRACTResearch has suggested that prenatal depression may be associated with disrupted maternal responses to infant stimuli, with depressed pregnant women not showing the bias toward distressed infants as that observed in nondepressed pregnant women. The current study examined the effects of depression on self‐ reported responses to infant stimuli, in early pregnancy. Women with clinical depression (n = 38), and nondepressed women (n = 67) were recruited from a wider cognitive behavioral therapy trial. They completed Maternal Response Scales in which they were presented with images of distressed, neutral, and happy infant faces, with no time limit. The women rated their responses to these images along three dimensions—wanting to comfort, wanting to turn away, and feelings of anxiety—using Likert scales via a computerized task. There was evidence that women with depression in pregnancy showed different responses than did women without depression. Women with depression were substantially more likely to be in the highest quartile for ratings of wanting to turn away, odds (OR) ratio = 4.15, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 1.63–10.5, p = .003, and also were substantially less likely to be in the highest quartile for wanting to comfort a distressed infant face, OR = 0.22, 95% CIs = 0.09–0.54, p < .001. Findings are consistent with there being both a heightened avoidant and a reduced comforting response toward distressed infants in depressed pregnant women, providing some support that depression disrupts maternal preparations at a conscious level.

Maternal voice and preterm infants development

Mother's voice seems to have an important role in neurological development of the fetus and the newborn. Numerous studies have shown that the fetus perceives sounds and reacts to them since 26th–28th week of gestation and that he has the ability to discriminate between the maternal voice and other voices, showing a marked preference to the first [1,2]. The fetus within the uterus is in a sound environment, called “noise floor”, resulting from the combination of “internal noise”, such as the sound of maternal heartbeat, breathing and gastrointestinal activity, and “external noise”, principally the mother's voice. Premature birth abruptly stops prenatal learning experiences and it causes a sudden transition from the quiet and lovely environment of the maternal womb, towards the noisy world of the NICU, often hostile and aggressive [3]. During the months in NICU, the baby is deprived of the biological maternal sounds and this could interfere with his neurodevelopment, in particular speech and language acquisition. The Developmental Care programs aim to provide an extra-uterine environment similar to the maternal womb: control of light, noise, pain, postural care, kangaroo mother care are examples. Few studies addressed the beneficial effects of the early exposure to the mother's voice and recently some researches have shown that this sound can increase cardiorespiratory stability and growth, improve deep sleep, and shorten length of hospital stay [4-8]. In 2013 Loewy [9], using several acoustic stimuli, has shown that exposure to “intrauterine” stimuli and in particular to the mother's voice, meant an increased attention span and alertness, associated with a marked reduction in heart rate, increased stability of behavioral states and sleep quality and improved nutritional behavior and caloric intake . Chorna et al. [10], using mother's voice played through a Pacifier-Activated Music player (PAM) during non-nutritive sucking, have demonstrated an improvement of the development of sucking ability and oral feeding skills in preterm infants. Finally Picciolini et al. [3] have shown that early exposure to maternal voice, administered by bone conduction, according Tomatis’ method, exerts a beneficial effect on preterm infants autonomic system and neurobehavioral development. They have found a better neurofunctional assessment score at 3 months of corrected age vs a control group. In conclusion, studies show encouraging results about mother's voice ability to promote optimal neurological development of preterm babies. We are studying the effects of the voice on mother-child attachment and its correlations with neurodevelopment outcomes.

Maternal sensitivity and mental health: does an early childhood intervention programme have an impact?

Maternal sensitivity (MS) and mental health influence mother-child attachment and the child's mental health. Early interventions may promote resilience and facilitate healthy development of the children through an impact on mothers' outcomes such as their sensitivity and mental health. Play with Our Children (POC) is an early intervention programme aiming to promote a positive mother-child interaction for children who attend three family health centres of deprived areas of Santiago de Chile. To estimate the effect of the programme POC on MS and mental health. A quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching estimations was employed. MS was measured with the Q-Sort of Maternal Sensitivity, and maternal mental health was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Parenting Stress Index. Mean-difference comparison and difference-in-difference method were used as statistical strategies. The sample included 102 children from 2 to 23 months of age, 54 of them participated in the intervention and 48 children were the comparison group. Estimates showed that participation in POC was positively associated with less stress in mothers of children younger than 12 months (P < 0.05) and positively associated with MS for mothers of children from 12 to 23 months (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in maternal depression scores. The dyadic early intervention POC may influence mother's mental health and indirectly impact children's well-being during critical stages of their development by strengthening their mother's sensitivity towards them.

Socioemotional Problems in Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Mediating Effects of Attachment and Family Supports.

Given the high likelihood of women remaining with their partner when intimate partner violence (IPV) is present, it is important to work with existing family strengths and social supports to minimize emotional harm to the children of these couples. The current study involved interviews with mothers of young children in the child welfare system across a state in the northeast ( n = 336). Roughly one third of these women reported IPV in the past year. The relationship between IPV and child socioemotional problems was explored, along with supports that might mediate this relationship. Study results showed that child exposure to IPV was directly related to socioemotional problems. This was mediated by three family and social factors: strength of mother-child attachment, overall family functioning, and level of mothers' emotional support. Findings revealed the heterogeneity among families with IPV and highlight the need for interventions focused on the ecological context in which women are parenting.

Insatiable insecurity: maternal obesity as a risk factor for mother–child attachment and child weight

Childhood obesity has become a rising health problem, and because parental obesity is a basic risk factor for childhood obesity, biological factors have been especially considered in the complex etiology. Aspects of the family interaction, e.g., mother–child attachment, have not been the main focus. Our study tried to fill this gap by investigating whether there is a difference between children of obese and normal weight mothers in terms of mother–child attachment, and whether mother–child attachment predicts child’s weight, in a sample of 31 obese and 31 normal weight mothers with children aged 19 to 58 months. Mother–child attachment was measured with the Attachment Q-Set. We found that (1) children of obese mothers showed a lower quality of mother–child attachment than children of normal weight mothers, which indicates that they are less likely to use their mothers as a secure base; (2) the attachment quality predicted child`s BMI percentile; and (3) the mother–child attachment adds incremental validity to the prediction of child’s BMI beyond biological parameters (child’s BMI birth percentile, BMI of the parents) and mother’s relationship status. Implications of our findings are discussed.

Neonatal skin care. A four-week follow up randomized controlled trial.

The major functions of the human skin are maintenance of water and electrolyte homeostasis, thermoregulation, antimicrobial defense, protection from trauma, environmental toxins and ultraviolet radiation, synthesis of vitamin, immune surveillance; it is important from an esthetic point of view, serves as a sensory organ and facilitates mother-child attachment. The skin of the newborn differs from that of an adult in several ways. Newborn skin care is mandatory to avoid skin infections. As a result of normal daily exposure to these external factors, good skin hygiene, proper skin cleansing and protection of the infant skin barrier are essential to maintain the barrier function and overall health. The aim of this work is to assess the neonatal skin care effectiveness in promotion of normal skin development and protection of the optimal skin function to prevent the different neonatal skin disorders.

Mother educational involvement as a mediator between beliefs, perceptions, attachment, and children's school success in Taiwan

This study was designed to examine possible direct and indirect pathways from mothers' beliefs, mothers' perceptions, mother-child attachment, and mothers' involvement to children's school success. Mothers and their 8- to 11-year-old children (n = 100) in urban central Taiwan participated in this study. Mothers completed questionnaires regarding their beliefs, perceptions, educational involvement, and their child's school achievement. Children completed an attachment measure and standardized assessments of school adjustment and academic self-concept. Findings revealed that mother involvement was related to mother beliefs and perceptions, but not to efficacy or attachment. Children's school success indicators were related to mothers' motivation, beliefs about teachers, perceived invitations for involvement, mother-child avoidant attachment, and mothers' involvement. Path analysis revealed that mothers' involvement completely mediated pathways from mother beliefs and perceptions to child school success. Findings suggest that the model is useful within a Taiwanese population, but should be further tested.

The relationships between shyness and unsociability and peer difficulties

The main purpose of the study was to examine the moderating role of the insecure mother–child attachment in the relations between social withdraw and peer difficulties. Participants were 487 urban children (247 boys, 240 girls) in elementary schools in Shanghai, the People’s Republic of China. Data on attachment-relevant coping styles in insecure relationships with mother were collected from children’s self-reports. Information concerning social withdrawal (i.e., shyness and unsociability) and peer difficulties (i.e., peer victimization and rejection) was obtained from peer nomination. Among the results, both shyness and unsociability were positively related to peer victimization and rejection. However, several interaction effects were also observed. Both avoidant and ambivalent attachment served an exacerbating role for peer difficulties for shy and unsociable children, with these patterns differing by gender. Implications for the contributions of attachment to socially withdrawn children’s peer adjustment are discussed.

Concept Analysis of Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression (PPD) affects the health of women and is an important issue that impacts negatively on the happiness of affected families. Previous studies have demonstrated that PPD impairs the mother-child attachment, impacts the marital relationship, and may cause family dysfunction. Although PPD is a common phenomenon, the concept of PPD is easily confused with other similar concepts such as postpartum blues and postpartum psychosis, which may delay proper prevention and management. This paper identifies the definitions, characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of PPD as well as provides empirical screen measurements and examples of model, borderline, and contrary cases in order to differentiate between the concepts of PPD and other disorders using Walker and Avant's (2011) concept analysis methodology. Three defining characteristics of postpartum depression were identified. First, depression begins four to six weeks after delivery and continues for at least two weeks. Second, we benchmarked over 5 depressive symptoms. Third, postpartum depression may disrupt puerperal women's lives by making it difficult for them to care for their babies and to concentrate on daily tasks. We hope that this article enhances nurses' professional competences to detect PPD as early as possible and to promote the quality of care received by postpartum women and their family members.

아동기 어머니에 대한 애착, 성인기 자아존중감이 성인 학습자의 대학생활적응에 미치는 영향

This study examines the effects of parent-child attachment across the child's life from a life-span developmental perspective. The study investigates the effects of a child's attachment to his or her mother in childhood on his or her school attachment as an adult student and explores the role of self-esteem as a mediator of the relationship between these two variables. A total of 529 S Cyber University students taking social welfare classes participated in this study. These students completed a questionnaire about their present level of self-esteem, attachment to their mother in childhood, and school adjustment. According to the SEM results, adult students' self-esteem fully mediated the relationship between their mother-child attachment in childhood and their school adjustment in adulthood. Attachment security for the mother in childhood was related to the child's own internal working model, and positive self-esteem was related to school adjustment.

AINSWORTH'S STRANGE SITUATION PROCEDURE: THE ORIGIN OF AN INSTRUMENT.

The American-Canadian psychologist Mary Ainsworth (1913-1999) developed the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) to measure mother-child attachment and attachment theorists have used it ever since. When Ainsworth published the first results of the SSP in 1969, it seemed a completely novel and unique instrument. However, in this paper we will show that the SSP had many precursors and that the road to such an instrument was long and winding. Our analysis of hitherto little-known studies on children in strange situations allowed us to compare these earlier attempts with the SSP. We argue that it was the combination of Ainsworth's working experience with William Blatz and John Bowlby, her own research in Uganda and Baltimore, and the strong connection of the SSP with attachment theory, that made the SSP differ enough from the other strange situation studies to become one of the most widely used instruments in developmental psychology today.

Associations Among Supportive Coparenting, Father Engagement and Attachment: The Role of Race/Ethnicity

The present study examined the longitudinal associations among supportive coparenting and father engagement during infancy and mother–child attachment in toddlerhood within an at-risk sample (N = 1371). Of particular interest was whether these associations were moderated by race/ethnicity. Mothers reported on coparenting and father engagement during the 1-year interview and mother–child attachment was assessed using the Toddler Attachment Sort-39 at age three during the in-home visit. Findings suggest that supportive coparenting was significantly associated with higher levels of father engagement and more secure mother–child attachment relationship for both white and minority families. In addition, race/ethnicity moderated the link between supportive coparenting and father engagement such that the link was stronger among white families compared to minority families. Results highlight the significance of coparenting for father engagement and the mother–child attachment relationship. The implications of these findings are discussed for interventions targeting coparenting and positive paternal engagement among at-risk children.

Attachment and Family Processes in Children's Psychological Adjustment in Middle Childhood.

This study examined the links between parent-child attachment, whole family interaction patterns, and child emotional adjustment and adaptability in a sample of 86 community families with children between the ages of 8 and 11years. Family interactions were observed and coded with the System for Coding Interactions and Family Functioning (SCIFF; Lindahl, 2001). Both parents and each target child completed the appropriate form of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2nd Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). Target children also completed the Children's Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CCSQ; Yunger, Corby, & Perry, 2005). Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that Secure mother-child attachment was a robust predictor of children's emotional symptoms, but father-child attachment strategies were not significant independent predictors. Positive Affect in family interactions significantly increased the amount of variance accounted for in children's emotional symptoms. In addition, Family Cohesion and Positive Affect moderated the relationship between father-child attachment and children's emotional symptoms. When data from all BASC-2 informants (mother, father, child) were considered simultaneously and multidimensional constructs were modeled, mother-child security directly predicted children's adjustment and adaptive skills, but the influence of father-child security was fully mediated through positive family functioning. Results of the current study support the utility of considering dyadic attachment and family interaction patterns conjointly when conceptualizing and fostering positive emotional and behavioral outcomes in children.

Viii. Attachment and sleep among toddlers: disentangling attachment security and dependency.

Many scholars have proposed that parent-child attachment security should favor child sleep. Research has yet, however, to provide convincing support for this hypothesis. The current study used objective measures of sleep and attachment to assess the longitudinal links between mother-child attachment security and subsequent sleep, controlling for child dependency. Sixty-two middle-class families (30 girls) were met twice, when children were 15 months (Wave 1; W1) and 2 years of age (Wave 2; W2). At W1, mother-child attachment was assessed with the observer version of the Attachment Q-Sort. At W2, children wore an actigraph monitor for 72 hr. Results indicated that children more securely attached to their mothers subsequently slept more at night and had higher sleep efficiency, and these predictions were not confounded by child dependency. These findings suggest a unique role for secure attachment relationships in the development of young children's sleep regulation, while addressing methodological issues that have long precluded consensus in this literature.

A secure base from which to regulate: Attachment security in toddlerhood as a predictor of executive functioning at school entry.

In light of emerging evidence suggesting that the affective quality of parent-child relationships may relate to individual differences in young children's executive functioning (EF) skills, the aim of this study was to investigate the prospective associations between attachment security in toddlerhood and children's EF skills in kindergarten. Mother-child dyads (N = 105) participated in 2 toddlerhood visits in their homes, when children were 15 months and 2 years of age. Mother-child attachment security was assessed with the Attachment Q-Sort during both these visits. When children were in kindergarten (ages 5-6), they were administered a battery of EF tasks, and their teachers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function to assess children's EF problems. The results indicated that kindergarteners who were more securely attached to their mothers in toddlerhood showed better performance on all EF tasks, and were considered by their teachers to present fewer EF problems in everyday school situations. These results held above family socioeconomic status (SES) and child age, sex, and general cognitive functioning. The fact that early attachment security uniquely predicted both teacher reports and children's objective EF task performance suggests that parent-child attachment may be a promising factor to consider in the continuing search for the social antecedents of young children's EF.

Caregiving antecedents of secure base script knowledge: a comparative analysis of young adult attachment representations.

Based on a subsample (N = 673) of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (SECCYD) cohort, this article reports data from a follow-up assessment at age 18 years on the antecedents of secure base script knowledge, as reflected in the ability to generate narratives in which attachment-related difficulties are recognized, competent help is provided, and the problem is resolved. Secure base script knowledge was (a) modestly to moderately correlated with more well-established assessments of adult attachment, (b) associated with mother-child attachment in the first 3 years of life and with observations of maternal and paternal sensitivity from childhood to adolescence, and (c) partially accounted for associations previously documented in the SECCYD cohort between early caregiving experiences and Adult Attachment Interview states of mind (Booth-LaForce & Roisman, 2014) as well as self-reported attachment styles (Fraley, Roisman, Booth-LaForce, Cox, & Holland, 2013). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Child–Mother Attachment Security and Child Characteristics as Joint Contributors to Young Children's Coping in a Challenging Situation

Moderate challenges provide opportunities for young children to develop coping skills, yet little is known about factors related to individual differences in early coping. This study investigated child–mother attachment security (9‐point rating) assessed via a modified Strange Situation procedure, child expressive language, and child social fearfulness as contributors to coping responses among 33‐month‐old children (N = 128, 66 girls) following receipt of an empty gift box. Associations between child–mother attachment security and child coping were moderated by child characteristics. As hypothesized, greater attachment security was associated with more action towards the stressor (i.e. vocalizing about the empty box and searching for the missing gift), but only for children high on social fearfulness. Further, greater attachment security was associated with seeking more physical proximity to mothers for children low on expressive language and less physical proximity for children high on expressive language. Lastly, greater attachment security was related to more self‐distraction for children with moderate to high expressive language. Results are discussed in terms of child–mother attachment security as a psychological resource constructed over time, which the child may draw upon when confronted with a moderate non‐attachment‐related stressor. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

A study on the relationships among toddler temperament, mother-child attachment security and toddler nonverbal communication skills: The mediating effects of mother-child attachment security

A study on the relationships among toddler temperament, mother-child attachment security and toddler nonverbal communication skills: The mediating effects of mother-child attachment security

A study on the influence of mother-child attachment security and teacher-child on child’s narrative development

A study on the influence of mother-child attachment security and teacher-child on child’s narrative development