Mother-child Interaction Research Articles

Relationship between Borderline Personality Disorder, Emotional Availability, and Cortisol Output in Mother-Child Dyads

Background: Mothers with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often show altered emotional availability toward their own child and heightened stress vulnerability. The aims of the present study were (1) to examine total cortisol output in saliva during mother-child interaction in mothers with BPD and their children and (2) to test whether maternal nonhostility as a subscale of emotional availability mediates the relationship between maternal BPD and child total cortisol output. Methods: We investigated 16 mothers with BPD and 30 healthy control mothers (HC) and 29 children of mothers with BPD and 33 children of HC mothers. Children were between 5 and 12 years old. Salivary cortisol was collected prior to and twice after an episode of a 21-min standardized play situation between mother and child. Nonhostility was rated using the emotional availability scales. Analyses of covariance were computed to test for group differences in total cortisol output (measured with area under the curve with respect to ground). Pearson’s correlation was calculated to test the association between maternal and child total cortisol output. To test the second question, a mediation analysis according to Preacher and Hayes was conducted. Results: Mothers with BPD and their children had lower total cortisol output. Maternal and child total cortisol output was significantly correlated. Contrary to our hypothesis, maternal nonhostility did not mediate the relationship between BPD and child total cortisol output. Conclusion: Results imply that the hormonal stress activity of mothers with BPD and their children is altered, which may reflect modified stress regulation and stress vulnerability in mother and child and may impact on mother-child interaction. The finding of a positive association between mother’s and child total cortisol output could indicate an intergenerational transmission of these alterations.

Measuring Mothers’ Warmth: Naïve Observers, Trained Coders, and Self-Reports

SYNOPSIS Objective. The current research evaluated whether thin slicing, which involves brief observations of others’ behaviors, is useful in understanding maternal warmth in the context of mother-child interaction. Design. The extent to which naïve observers’ ratings based on brief observations correspond to other reports of maternal warmth as well as the predictive validity of such ratings were evaluated in 158 pairs of European American mothers and their early adolescent children engaged in a set of problem-solving activities in the laboratory. Naïve (untrained) observers provided ratings of mothers’ warmth based on the first 5 min of the dyadic interaction. Trained coders rated mothers’ behaviors based on the first 5 min as well as the full 15 min video using a behavioral coding system. Mothers and children reported on mothers’ warmth using surveys. Results. Naïve observers’ ratings were associated with trained coders’ ratings, but not with child or mother reports. Child reports of mothers’ warmth were associated with both subjective and objective measures of their academic functioning. Naïve observers’ ratings of mothers’ warmth were associated with an objective measure of children’s academic functioning. Conclusions. The correspondence between naïve observers’ and trained coders’ reports of mothers’ warmth warrants further investigation into the conditions under which less time- and labor-intensive methods, such as thin slicing, can be applied to assess parents’ expressive behaviors.

Effetti dell'utilizzo dello smartphone nell'interazione della diade madre-bambino: risultati di uno studio sperimentale

Effects of smartphone use in the interaction of the mother-child dyad: results of an experimental study This study aimed to experimentally evaluate the effects of maternal smartphone use on mother-child interaction. 33 Israeli mothers with their 24–36-month-old children participated in 3 consecutive videotaped sessions, each with specific indications: use of the smartphone, reading a magazine, dyadic free play. The mother-child interaction was assessed in terms of maternal linguistic "input", maternal responsiveness and non-responsiveness, and conversational shifts, whose operational decoding were defined. Mothers engaged with smartphones or printed magazines produced fewer expressions and responses to baby's calls, missed baby's calls more often, and exchanged fewer conversational shifts compared to the free play setting. The quality of maternal responsiveness was also reduced. Smartphone are constantly used in current daily life and a negative effect on the development of the child is hypothesized. There is growing interest in the effects of parental use of smartphones on the relationship with the child, but data are still very limited, and the complexity of the aspects to be considered insufficiently studied.

Типология взаимодействия матери и ребенка раннего возраста с отклонениями в развитии вследствие неврологической патологии

Background. We analysis of interaction between an adult and a child as well as the deXnition of criteria and conditions of a child’s development, constitute theoretical basis for sustaining family resources, which is especially important for the early stage of ontogenesis. Objective. We aim of the study is to describe the characteristics of interaction within the dyad “mother — early age child with developmental disabilities (resulting from neurological pathology)”, as well as to construct a typology of interaction and to determine the conditions of developing interaction for young children. Sample. We study involved dyads “mother-child of early age.” Comparison sample (n = 51) consisted of dyads with children of normotypic development (NT), the average age 24.8 months. We main sample (n = 54) included dyads with children with neurological pathology (NP), the average age 25.2 months. Methods. Video observation of mother and child interaction in the process of joint activity with a set of toys was used as the research method. We data of primary analysis of video materials in accordance with the author’s scheme were subjected to secondary analysis (assessment of diYerences between groups, correlation and factor analysis). Results. 4 types of interaction in the dyad “mother — early age child” are singled out. We types diYer in the parameters such as: position of the mother in the interaction, level of dialogic interaction, content of the actions of mother and child with their inZuence on each other, creation of the zone of proximal development. We optimal type of interaction that is favourable for the development of the child is characterized by the activity of both the mother and the child, the involvement and productivity of the child. We type that could be regarded as favourable with certain restrictions is the type called “child dominance”, in which the activity of the child prevails, but the activity of the mother is insu[cient. We unfavourable types are “mother dominance”, characterised by the predominance of mother’s activity, the obsessive-violent maternal position and the subordinate position of the child, and the parallel type, in which there is no joint activity of mother and child. Conclusion. We study established the relationship between the mother’s actions in relation to the child and his/her productivity and activity, characterised the optimal type of interaction, which creates conditions for the development of the child and the correction of its deXciency. We task for future research is to develop programmes that could be used to optimise mother-child interaction in those cases when the implementation of developing interaction is not entirely successful; such programs need to take into account the particular type of interaction within the dyad.

The Relationship between Chinese Mothers’ Language Input and the Language Skills of Children Aged 3 - 6 Years

This study investigated the relationship between Chinese mothers’ language input (verbal productivity and interaction behaviors) and language skills of children aged 3 - 6 years. Data on mothers’ language input were videotaped from semi-structured mother-child interactions. The main findings revealed 1) The relationship between mothers’ verbal productivity and children’s language skills. There were significant positive correlations between the mothers’ number of total utterances (NTU) and number of total utterances, number of different words (NDW), and number of total words (NTW) of the children. There were significant positive correlations between mothers’ mean length of utterance (MLU) and children’s MLU, NDW, and NTW. There were significant positive correlations between mothers’ NDW and NTW and children’s NTU, NDW, and NTW. 2) The relationship between mothers’ interaction behaviors and children’s language skills. There was a significant negative correlation between mothers’ directive utterances and children’s MLU. There were significant positive correlations between mothers’ conversational utterances and children’s NTU, NDW, and NTW. These findings provide evidence for the relationship between Chinese mothers’ language input and children’s language skills at ages 3 - 6 years and provide a reference point for how Chinese mothers promote children’s language development.

Intergenerational Transmission of Attachment between Incarcerated Mothers and Their Co-residing Children.

Maternal attachment representations and children's attachment to their mothers have been shown to be related while this association varies according to socioeconomic risk factors that these mother-child dyads are experiencing. In this regard, this study aims to investigate the intergenerational transmission of attachment between highly disadvantaged incarcerated mothers and their co-residing children and the mediating role of maternal sensitivity in the relationship between maternal and children's attachment representations. The study sample consists of 84 incarcerated mothers and their co-residing children. The maternal attachment was evaluated using the Doll Story Completion Task. Children's attachment and maternal sensitivity were assessed based on a 45-minute semi-structured mother-child interaction observation and rated through structured coding instruments. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that mothers' anxious and avoidant attachment positively predicted children's disorganized attachment behaviors. Moreover, analyses showed that maternal sensitivity did not mediate the relationship between maternal and child attachment representations. Findings partially supported the discussion emphasizing that attachment transmission, as well as the mediating role of maternal sensitivity on this transmission, appeared to be weaker for disadvantaged mother-child dyads. Implications for future intervention programs aiming to support the attachment security and reduce the disorganization of children co-residing with their incarcerated mothers are discussed.

Адаптация детей раннего возраста к дошкольной образовательной организации как объект междисциплинарных исследований: анализ социально-психологических факторов

Introduction. The Federal State Educational Standard sets out stringent requirements to educational programmes implemented by preschool educational institutions (PEIs). This results in an increased number of studies into the theoretical aspects and practical indicators of the quality of services provided by PEIs. This study focuses on adaptation of young children to preschool programmes and aims to identify the psychological factors that impede such adaptation. The study specifically focuses on the features of the relationship of children who have difficulties in adapting to a PEI with teachers and parents. Materials and methods. 100 mothers and 46 educators were examined. The diagnostic set of the study included: For educators: Questionnaire “EmIn” (D. V. Lyusin), Individual Typological Test (L. N. Sobchik), Questionnaire “Communicative Control” (M. Schneider), Questionnaire “Communicative Tolerance” (V. V. Boyko), Motivation of Approval (D. Crown and J. Marlowe), Diagnostics of the Level of Development of Reflexivity (A. V. Karpov). For parents: the questionnaire for the study of the emotional side of parent-child interaction (E. I. Zakharova), the methodology for the study of child-parental relations PARI (E. S. Schaefer, R. K. Bell), the questionnaire for the analysis of family education (E. G. Eidemiller, V. V. Yustitskis), the questionnaire for determining the types of parental relations (A. Ya. Varga, V. V. Stolin). Research results. The study allowed us to describe the relationships between children with PEI adaptation difficulties and their mothers—specifically, these relationships are characterized by overprotection on the part of the mother against the background of the child’s acceptance and emotional involvement in interaction with him. We also highlighted a complex of primarily significant qualities that teachers should have in order to productively communicate with PEI pupils: the ability to reflect, increased level of emotional intelligence, decreased level of emotional lability, and decrease of the level of anxiety. In the course of approbation, it was shown that the complex allows the teacher to interact with young children more effectively, and as a result, provides an increase in the quality of preschool education in general. Conclusion. The study concluded that adaptation of young children is a systemic phenomenon with characteristic signs and manifestations. The result of the study is a theoretical substantiation and empirical proof that the main psychological factors that negatively affect the manifestations of the adaptation process in preschool education in young children include the peculiarities of mothers’ attitude towards their children and the specifics of the interaction of the teaching staff with children. The study reveals the need to further research the adaptation to preschool education as a complex phenomenon. The study also makes it possible to identify practical indicators of the relationship between the severity of the adaptation period, on the one hand, and the specifics of child-mother interaction and child-PEI teacher interaction, on the other hand.

French and British children’s shrugs

AbstractThis paper presents a multimodal and form-based approach to language development grounded in situated practices and focuses on the longitudinal analysis of a composite gesture, the shrug, in two datasets of mother-child interactions in French and British English. The shrug in its full-fledged form can combine a palm-up, lifted shoulders, a head tilt, raised eyebrows and a mouth shrug (Kendon, 2004;Streeck, 2009). All formal components and functions of the two children’s shrugs between the ages of 1 and 4;2 were coded within the multimodal ongoing discourse. Multiple correspondence analyses were combined with detailed qualitative analyses. Despite differences in the two children, interesting similarities in the development were observed over three periods: (1) absence is mainly expressed with palm-ups; (2) both children start using head tilts and shoulder lifts to express epistemicity and interpersonal positioning; (3) head tilts increase, and each body part is more clearly associated with one function.

Maternal Parenting Stress, Mother-Child Interaction Activities, Maternal Parenting Behaviors, and Preschoolers’ School Readiness in Early Childhood: Longitudinal Effects on Children’s Academic Ability at School Entry

Objectives: The main purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal effects of maternal parenting stress, mother-child interaction activities, maternal parenting behaviors, and preschoolers' school readiness on children's academic ability at school entry in early childhood.Methods: This study used data from the seventh (T1) and eighth (T2) wave (2014ㅡ2015) of the Panel Study on Korean Children. The participants of this study were 942 between 6 and 7-year-old children and their mothers. Data analysis was performed using structural equation modeling.Results: First, the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's academic ability at school admission was sequentially mediated by mother-child interaction activities and preschoolers' school readiness. The higher the maternal parenting stress, the lower the mother-child interaction activities, and the lower the mother-child interaction activities, the lower the degree of preschoolers' school readiness. The poor degree of preschoolers' school readiness was related to the children's low academic ability at school entry. Second, the relationship between maternal parenting stress and children's academic ability at school entry was sequentially mediated by parenting behaviors and preschoolers' school readiness. The higher the maternal parenting stress, the less positive maternal parenting behaviors were, and the less positive maternal parenting behaviors were, the lower the level of preschoolers' school readiness, and the lower the children's academic performance at school entry.Conclusion: This study indicated that maternal parenting stress, mother-child interaction activities, maternal parenting behaviors, and preschoolers' school readiness in early childhood influenced firstgrade children's academic performance.

Maternal question use and child language outcomes: The moderating role of children's vocabulary skills and socioeconomic status

Question use is a key feature of high-quality language input and supports language development. The current study examined how different types of maternal questions were associated with children's language outcomes, and how the associations were moderated by children's existing vocabulary skills and family socioeconomic status. Participants were 165 mothers and their 2-year-olds from the study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Mother-child interactions during book-reading and toy play were video-recorded and coded for three types of questions: Yes or No (Y/N; e.g., “Is that a doggy?”), referential (e.g., “What's that?”), and advanced questions (e.g., “What will happen next?”). Child vocabulary at age 2 and receptive and expressive language skills at age 3 were assessed using standardized measures. Results suggested that Y/N questions and referential questions uniquely contributed to children's receptive language 1 year later. Yet, the benefit of referential questions did not generalize to children with small vocabularies at age 2. The association between referential questions and children's receptive language was stronger for children from families with lower-socioeconomic status, highlighting the possibility for intervention in this area. Together, these findings reveal the critical role of individual and contextual factors in language-learning mechanisms.

Child diet and mother-child interactions mediate intervention effects on child growth and development.

This study examined whether child diet and mother–child interactions mediated the effects of a responsive stimulation and nutrition intervention delivered from 2009 to 2012 to 1324 children aged 0–24 months living in rural Pakistan. Results showed that the intervention improved children's cognitive, language and motor development through child diet and mother–child interactions. Although the intervention did not improve child growth or socio‐emotional development, we observed positive indirect effects on child growth via child diet and on socio‐emotional development via both child diet and mother–child interactions. In addition, child diet emerged as a shared mechanism to improve both child growth and development, whereas mother–child interactions emerged as a distinct mechanism to improve child development. Nevertheless, our results suggest the two mechanisms were mutually reinforcing and that interventions leveraging both mechanisms are likely to be more effective at improving child outcomes than interventions leveraging only one of these mechanisms.

A Personalized Remote Video-Feedback Universal Parenting Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

The randomized controlled trial examined the efficacy of a personalized remote video feedback parenting program to improve parenting and child behavior outcomes. Ninety-two mothers of 2-6-year-old children were randomly allocated into the intervention group (n = 50) and waiting-list control group (n = 42). The Strengthening Bonds preventive program was performed to improve positive parenting. The mothers participated in one in-person group session. During six weeks, the mothers received, via smartphone, remote personalized video feedback about their mother-child interactions in a play situation. Parenting was the primary outcome, and child behavior was the secondary one. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were performed. The generalized estimating equation analysis showed no significant results in the intention-to-treat (ITT). In the treatment-on-the-treated (TOT), there were statistically significant effects of the intervention decreasing mothers' coercive parenting practices and child behavior problems. The structural equation model analysis showed that the intervention-induced reductions in children's behavior problems were mediated by improvements in coercive practices. There was a direct effect of the intervention to improve the parental sense of competence. Despite the null findings in the ITT analysis, the TOT analysis showed promising results to strengthen positive parenting behaviors and beliefs and reduce child behavior problems.

Effectiveness of a longitudinal psychosocial intervention to strengthen mother–child interactions: The role of biological and contextual moderators

IntroductionEarly parent–child relationships shape children’s future. Child development and parent–child interactions are multidetermined, and the combination of biological risks and social disadvantages can further compromise both outcomes. Interventions that promote responsive parenting may mitigate the risks for child development. We examined the effectiveness of a longitudinal psychosocial intervention to strengthen maternal interactive skills and the moderative role of biological and contextual variables. MethodsThe present study is part of a large study designed as a pragmatic quasi-experimental trial. The intervention was implemented in a public mother–child healthcare service, which is a reference for high-risk deliveries. The sample was a convenience subsample of the large project, comprised 67 mother–child dyads. The Intervention Group (IG) and Comparison Group (CG) included 33 and 34 dyads, respectively. The intervention consisted of two individual Newborn Behavioral Observation (NBO) sessions and six group sessions with the mothers. It was delivered at childbirth and 2, 4, 6, 9, and 12 months of child age. CG received usual care at the same age. IG and CG mothers were video recorded playing with their 12-month-old children; maternal interactive skills were assessed using the Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes (PICCOLO). PICCOLO captures mothers’ skills across four domains: affection, responsiveness, encouragement, and teaching. We performed a multiple linear regression to identify the moderative effect of the intervention on maternal interactive skills; the initial model included biological and contextual variables, the group, and the interaction between potential moderators and the group. ResultsIn general, most infants were boys, born preterm, and with low birth weight. On average, the mothers studied for 10 years, and most families were classified as having low or very low socioeconomic status. In general, IG mothers’ mean scores were higher than CG mothers’ in all PICCOLO domains, although without statistical significance. Lower maternal schooling moderated the effect of the intervention on mothers’ overall interaction and encouragement skills. Lower gestational age moderated the effect on PICCOLO total scores. Final regression models explained 22% and 14% of the variability of PICCOLO total and encouragement scores, respectively; no intervention’s effect was observed in other domains. ConclusionThe effects of our longitudinal psychosocial intervention on maternal interactive skills were moderated by infants’ gestational age and maternal years of schooling. These findings suggest that the intervention was more effective for vulnerable groups, specifically for mothers with less schooling and whose infants were born extremely preterm, confirming our hypothesis of the differential effect of the intervention.

Linking Chinese mothers’ and fathers’ scaffolding with children's initiative and mathematics performance: a moderated mediation model

Many studies have shown a positive link between mothers’ scaffolding and children's mathematics performance. However, the mechanism driving the link, and whether mothers’ and fathers’ scaffoldings relate to children's mathematics performance similarly or differentially are currently not well understood. This study examined whether child initiative mediated the association between parental scaffolding and children's mathematics performance, and whether the co-parent's scaffolding moderated the mediating effect of child initiative on the associations. Participants were 96 two-parent Chinese families with children aged 5–6 years (47 girls). All children completed 2 math-related activities with their mothers and fathers, separately. Mother-child and father-child interactions in math-related activities were videotaped. Parental scaffolding was coded from the aspects of parents' cognitive, emotional, and autonomy support. Occurrences of children's self-starting, metacognition, or persistent behaviors were coded as children's initiative. Children's mathematics performance was assessed individually with the Test of Early Mathematics Ability–Third Edition (TEMA-3). Results showed that children's initiative only mediated the relationship between fathers’ scaffolding and children's mathematics performance. Mothers’ scaffolding was found to be a moderator in the relationship between fathers’ scaffolding and children's initiative in father-child interactions. This suggests that high levels of maternal scaffolding function as a facilitator, improving the positive link between paternal scaffolding and children's initiative, which in turn contributes to children's mastery of mathematics. These results highlight the important roles of both parents’ scaffoldings and child initiative in children's mathematics learning.

Parenting behaviours among mothers of pre-schoolers on the autism spectrum: Associations with parenting stress and children’s externalising behaviour problems

BackgroundParents of pre-schoolers diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) report increased parenting stress (i.e., stress related to the parent role) and more behaviour problems of the child compared with parents of non-autistic pre-schoolers. Parenting stress and children’s behaviour problems are both associated with parenting behaviours, but have not yet been investigated together. Method42 mothers of autistic and non-autistic pre-schoolers were observed during mother-child interaction and they reported on parenting behaviours, parenting stress, and children’s externalising behaviour problems. Spearman correlations between all variables were calculated for the ASD group and the non-ASD group separately, and Linear Mixed Models were built to investigate whether parenting stress and externalising behaviour problems were similarly associated to parenting behaviours in both groups. ResultsMothers in the ASD group reported more parenting stress and more externalising behaviour problems than mothers in the non-ASD group. In the ASD group only, parenting stress was related to externalising behaviour problems but not to the level of autism characteristics. In both groups, more externalising behaviour problems were associated with more observed negative parenting behaviours (i.e., criticising and ignoring the child), and more parenting stress was associated with less reported autonomy support. ConclusionsOur findings indicate that in the case of possibly problematic parenting behaviours, such as negativity and lack of autonomy support, it is important to investigate associated factors like parenting stress and children’s behaviour problems. An individualised strengths and needs assessment could then offer a tailored intervention to families with an autistic pre-schooler.

Neural representation of the parent–child attachment from infancy to adulthood

Attachment theory is built on the assumption of consistency; the mother–infant bond is thought to underpin the life-long representations individuals construct of attachment relationships. Still, consistency in the individual’s neural response to attachment-related stimuli representing his or her entire relational history has not been investigated. Mothers and children were followed across two decades and videotaped in infancy (3–6 months), childhood (9–12 years) and young adulthood (18–24 years). In adulthood, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while exposed to videos of own mother–child interactions (Self) vs unfamiliar interactions (Other). Self-stimuli elicited greater activations across preregistered nodes of the human attachment network, including thalamus-to-brainstem, amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula and temporal cortex. Critically, self-stimuli were age-invariant in most regions of interest despite large variability in social behavior, and Bayesian analysis showed strong evidence for lack of age-related differences. Psycho–physiological interaction analysis indicated that self-stimuli elicited tighter connectivity between ACC and anterior insula, consolidating an interface associating information from exteroceptive and interceptive sources to sustain attachment representations. Child social engagement behavior was individually stable from infancy to adulthood and linked with greater ACC and insula response to self-stimuli. Findings demonstrate overlap in circuits sustaining parental and child attachment and accord with perspectives on the continuity of attachment across human development.

A Longitudinal Study of Language Use During Early Mother-Child Interactions in Spanish-Speaking Families Experiencing Low Income.

This longitudinal study assessed continuity and stability of productive language (vocabulary and grammar) and discourse features (turn-taking; asking and responding to questions) during mother-child play. Parent-child language use in 119 Spanish-speaking, Mexican immigrant mothers and their children at two ages (M = 2.5 and 3.6 years) was evaluated from transcriptions of interactions. Child productive language significantly increased over the year, whereas mothers showed commensurate increases in vocabulary diversity but very little change in grammatical complexity. Mother-child discourse was characterized by discontinuity: Mothers decreased their turn length and asked fewer questions while children increased on both measures. Rates of responding to questions remained high for both mothers and children even as children increased and mothers decreased over time. Mothers and children showed significant rank-order stability in productive language and measures of discourse. Mothers' rate of asking questions and children's responses to questions during the first interaction predicted children's receptive vocabulary a year later. As children become more sophisticated communicators, language input remains important, with discourse features growing in relevance. Children's early opportunities to respond to parents' questions in the context of play benefit their language skills. This work extends the evidence base from monolingual English-speaking families and is interpreted in the context of prior research on parenting practices in U.S. families of Mexican origin.

Mothers as First Teachers: Exploring the Features of Motherchild Interactions That Support Young Aboriginal Children’s Multilingual Learning at Playgroup

For many Indigenous children living in remote communities, the prerequisites to achieving strong language and learning outcomes include the maintenance of their first languages and progress in learning English as an additional language. This paper reports on data from a Linkage study conducted with families at two Families as First Teachers (FaFT) playgroups in two remote Northern Territory communities. The data highlight the ways parents and carers encouraged very young children to engage in home languages as a foundation on which to develop skills in English during play and book reading activities. Transcripts of mother-child book reading and play sessions and reflections of FaFT Family Liaison Officers are examined to explore the language interactions and the strategies used by mothers to support children’s multilingual learning. The data highlight the importance of early childhood teaching and learning that honours children’s linguistic and cultural resources and prioritises families’ aspirations for children’s multilingual language learning.

Potential efficacy of parent-infant psychotherapy with mothers and their infants from a high-risk population: a randomized controlled pilot trial

BackgroundPsychotherapy of mother-child dyads is an intervention which was developed to prevent maltreatment and negative children’s development. There is a lack of good-quality research investigating psychotherapeutic interventions and social care for mothers at high-risk living in Mother-Child Facilities in Germany. The present randomized controlled pilot trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the need for parent-infant psychotherapy (PIP) and to explore its impact on the mother-infant relationship. Primary feasibility objectives were recruitment and attrition, with potential efficacy defined as the secondary feasibility objective.MethodsThis pilot RCT focused on (young) mothers with cumulative risk factors and their infants under 7 months of age living in Mother-Child Facilities. N=32 mother-child dyads were randomly allocated to PIP or Care as usual (CAU). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months of intervention. The primary potential efficacy outcome was maternal sensitivity. Secondary outcomes were maternal mental health problems, reflective functioning, parenting stress, personality organization, infant’s development, and attachment.ResultsAt baseline, all mothers showed low levels of emotional availability, but results revealed improvements in sensitivity, mental health problems, stress, and depressive symptomatology favoring PIP after 6 months. Positive developments in maternal sensitivity, a healthy aspect of mother-child interaction, were only found in the PIP group. Overall attrition was high at 6 months. Some evidence of fewer depressive symptoms and lower maternal distress after 6 months of PIP-intervention exists that did not reach significance.ConclusionFindings revealed improvements in the mother’s well-being for both groups, but PIP had a higher impact on the mother-child dyad. In sum, there is some evidence that PIP may represent an effective intervention offer besides the social and pedagogical support in these facilities, but further research is demanded.Trial registrationDRKS00022485 (retrospectively registered).

The effects of maternal smartphone use on mother-child interaction.

This study assessed the effects of maternal smartphone use on mother-child interaction. Thirty-three Israeli mothers and their 24- to 36-month-old toddlers (16 boys) from middle-high socioeconomic status participated in three within-subjects experimental conditions: maternal smartphone use, maternal magazine reading, and uninterrupted dyadic free-play. The mothers produced fewer utterances, provided fewer responses to child bids, missed child bids more often, and exchanged fewer conversational turns with their children when engaged with a smartphone or printed magazines compared to uninterrupted free-play. The quality of maternal responsiveness was also decreased. These findings suggest maternal smartphone use compromises mother-child interaction, which given smartphone ubiquity in daily life may have negative effects on child development in various domains, including language, cognition, and socioemotional regulation.