Postpartum depression: Impact on pregnant women and the postnatal physical, emotional, and cognitive development of their children. An ecological perspective

Maternal mental health problems during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are a challenge for public health. Not recognizing them hinders a timely diagnosis and treatment and has an impact on the mother and the establishment of the fundamental bond of the mother-child dyad. We must recognize the risk factors (age, socioeconomic status, mental health history, family dysfunction, unfavorable environment), clinical manifestations, and screening tools. There is evidence that the effect of stress, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy negatively affect fetal neurodevelopment and condition child developmental outcomes. Here we describe the negative impact of postpartum depression during the first months of life, which affects mother-child bonding, postnatal development (emotional, behavioral, cognitive, language), and the maintenance of breastfeeding. We also recognize protective factors that mitigate its effects. It is essential to establish preventive strategies and interdisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to minimize the risks to the mother and her children.

Maternal dispositional mindfulness and mother-child relationship: The mediating role of emotional control during parenting

BACKGROUND

The literature supports the role of parental dispositional mindfulness on parent-child relationship quality. However, little is known about the connection between these two aspects.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate whether emotion regulation during parenting, that is, the ability to control negative emotions, mediated the association between parental dispositional mindfulness and parent-child relationship quality. The study also explored the moderation role of child age on the association between parental dispositional mindfulness and parent's ability to control negative emotions during parenting.

METHODS

Participants were 635 mothers of children aged between 12 months and 5 years. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires to measure maternal dispositional mindfulness, mother-child relationship quality and maternal control of negative emotions during parenting.

RESULTS

Results showed that maternal ability to control negative emotions during parenting partially mediated the association between maternal dispositional mindfulness and mother-child relationship quality. Moreover, the moderation role of child age indicated that the association between maternal dispositional mindfulness and maternal ability to control negative emotions during parenting was stronger for older children's mothers.

CONCLUSION

Dispositional mindfulness has a protective role for the quality of parenting and the mother-child relationship. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Effects of sociocultural stressors on maternal responsivity and the infant behavioral and neuroendocrine response to stress in families of Mexican descent

Maternal stress is consistently linked to alterations in maternal behavior and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. As the Latino population grows in the U.S., it is increasingly important to understand how culturally relevant factors affect this relationship. This study aimed to address the role of sociocultural stressors on maternal sensitivity and markers of infant emotional regulation and the neuroendocrine response to stress in mother/infant dyads of Mexican descent. Pregnant women of Mexican descent (n = 115) were recruited during early pregnancy and followed until their infants were 6 months old. Mothers completed measures of sociocultural stressors (acculturative stress and discrimination) at pre and postnatal time points. At 6 months, dyads underwent the Still Face procedure. Mothers were observed for behaviors exhibiting maternal responsivity, while negative vocalizations were observed in infants. Salivary cortisol was also collected from infants. Maternal responsivity was a salient risk factor for alterations in infant emotional regulation and cortisol activity. Postnatal experiences of discrimination were also negatively associated with infant negative affect. This work highlights maternal responsivity and points to a potential role for experiences of discrimination in the response to stress in the mother/child dyad that may have consequences for the development of emotional regulation in infants of Mexican descent.

The relationship between maternal-infant bonding and postpartum depression/anxiety: moderating effect of childhood psychological abuse and validation of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding scale (MIBS-8) in Arabic

BACKGROUND

The emotional bond that a mother senses to her infant is essential to their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Understanding the level of mother-infant bonding plays an imperative role in the excellence of care. However, in Lebanon, there is a paucity of information about mother-infant bonding in the postpartum period. Given that Lebanese pregnant women constitute an important part of the population to look at, the objectives of the study were to (1) validate the Arabic version of the mother-infant bonding scale and (2) the relation between mother-infant bond and postpartum depression/anxiety; (3) the moderating effect of child abuse in the association between mother-infant bond and postpartum depression/anxiety.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2022 until June 2023, enrolling 438 women 4-6 weeks after delivery (mean age: 31.23 ± 5.24 years). To examine the factor structure of the mother-infant bond scale, we used an Exploratory-Confirmatory (EFA-CFA) strategy. To check if the model was adequate, several fit indices were calculated: the normed model chi-square (χ2/df), the Steiger-Lind root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) and the comparative fit index (CFI).

RESULTS

EFA was conducted on the first subsample. Three items were removed. The five items remaining loaded on one factor, which explained 73.03% of the common variance (ω = .91 / α = .90). After adding a correlation between residuals for items 2-7 and 5-8, fit indices of the CFA results were acceptable: χ2/df = 6.97/3 = 2.32, RMSEA = .068 (90% CI .001, .135), SRMR = .017, CFI = .996, TLI = .988. The interaction maternal-infant bonding by child psychological abuse was significantly associated with depression and anxiety respectively. At low, moderate and high levels of child psychological abuse, higher maternal-infant bonding scores (greater difficulty in bonding) were significantly associated with higher depression and higher anxiety respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study provides, for the first time, a specific Arabic scale to assess mother-infant bonding reliably and validly. Furthermore, our study has suggested the existence of factors that have additive effects in potentiating the risk for depression and anxiety among Lebanese postpartum women, namely a history of psychological child abuse. Therefore, laborious awareness programs and healthcare services need to be implemented in order to prevent maternal mental health disorders from being unrecognized and left untreated.

Undoing mothers' avoidant coping with children's negative emotion: A randomized controlled trial of relational savoring

Some mothers report using avoidant coping strategies (minimizing, punishing) in response to their young children's negative emotion, an aspect of insensitive parenting that places children at risk for emotional or behavioral dysregulation (Fabes et al., 2001) and insecure attachment (De Wolff & van Ijzendoorn, 1997). In prior work, an in-home attachment-based relational savoring (RS) intervention, administered over a month's time, positively affected maternal emotion and sensitive behavior with young children (Borelli et al., 2023); further, a one-time online RS protocol had greater impacts on emotion and relationship satisfaction for mothers with greater attachment avoidance (Burkhart et al., 2015). However, we do not yet know whether a brief, laboratory intervention impacts highly avoidant mothers' behavior with their children and not just their self-reports of satisfaction. Here, we examine whether mothers' endorsement of avoidant coping strategies moderates the effect of an RS versus active control intervention on mothers' use of emotion-coaching during an emotionally charged conversation with their child. Mothers (N = 122; Mage = 33.42, SD = 5.40) and their preschoolers (Mage = 41.80 months, SD = 4.65; 48.4% female) from diverse backgrounds (41% Latina, 40% White [non-Latina]; 42% under $60,000 annual income) participated. The interaction between condition and level of avoidant coping on mothers' emotion-coaching behaviors was significant. Mothers high in avoidant coping (top quartile) displayed better emotion-coaching during the emotion conversation if they had been in the RS condition. Savoring may be a valuable tool to promote effective emotion-coaching among parents most prone to avoid their children's negative emotion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal parenting stress and social-emotional problems of Chinese preschoolers: The role of the mother-child relationship and maternal adverse childhood experiences

BACKGROUND

Previous research suggests that maternal parenting stress is a significant predictor of social-emotional problems in children. However, little is known regarding the mother-child relationship and the effect of maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on this association.

METHODS

Three waves of longitudinal panel data were collected from 2893 Chinese preschoolers with a follow-up interval of 6 months. The mothers of preschoolers were asked to complete anonymous questionnaires concerning demographic variables, maternal ACEs and parenting stress in Wave 1, mother-child relationships in Wave 2, and children's social-emotional problems in Wave 3. The parallel mediation model was conducted to analyze the mediating role of three dimensions of mother-child relationships, and the moderation model was conducted to examine the moderating role of maternal ACEs.

RESULTS

The results showed that maternal parenting stress predicted children's social-emotional problems directly or indirectly through the mother-child relationship, with an intimate mother-child relationship mediating this main effect negatively but a conflicted and dependent mother-child relationship mediating this main effect positively. In addition, moderating results indicated that the main effect of maternal parenting stress on children's social-emotional problems was more marked among participants with at least one maternal ACEs than those without maternal ACEs. Furthermore, the moderating effect was only detected in children whose mothers had a high school education or less.

LIMITATIONS

The subjectivity of mothers' reports may somewhat reduce the credibility due to the possible overestimation or underestimation of children's social-emotional problems.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide new evidence for the effects of maternal parenting stress on children's social-emotional development and highlight the need for more attention to children with mothers having ACE exposure, lower educational level and poor parent-child relationships.

Mother-child dyadic responses to children facing challenges: An examination across ethnicities

The current study (a) examined ethnic differences in mothers' and children's responses to children's performance in a challenging task, (b) tested the associations among children's desire for assistance, maternal control, and children's emotional responses to the challenge, and (c) explored whether these associations held across three ethnicities-Asian Americans (AA), Latinx Americans (LA), and European Americans (EA). Results showed that children's emotional arousal significantly increased and emotional valence became significantly less positive over the course of children experiencing repeated challenges in front of their mothers. In terms of ethnic differences, LA mothers exhibited more control than EA mothers, but LA children responded less negatively to the challenging task than EA children. AA dyads did not significantly differ from LA or EA dyads on any maternal or child responses. However, regardless of ethnicity, stronger child desire for assistance was associated with greater maternal control and greater maternal control was associated with less emotional arousal and more positive child emotional valence. These findings suggest that, in a challenging context, maternal control is likely experienced by children as guidance that mitigates decreases in positive emotion. Our work has implications for interventions to encourage more emotionally responsive parental involvement with children in late childhood and early adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Interbrain substrates of role switching during mother-child interaction

Mother-child interaction is highly dynamic and reciprocal. Switching roles in these back-and-forth interactions serves as a crucial feature of reciprocal behaviors while the underlying neural entrainment is still not well-studied. Here, we designed a role-controlled cooperative task with dual EEG recording to explore how differently two brains interact when mothers and children hold different roles. When children were actors and mothers were observers, mother-child interbrain synchrony emerged primarily within the theta oscillations and the frontal lobe, which highly correlated with children's attachment to their mothers (self-reported by mothers). When their roles were reversed, this synchrony was shifted to the alpha oscillations and the central area and associated with mothers' perception of their relationship with their children. The results suggested an observer-actor neural alignment within the actor's oscillations, which was related to the actor-toward-observer emotional bonding. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how interbrain synchrony is established and dynamically changed during mother-child reciprocal interaction.

ISL-signing mothers' practices for boosting hearing-signing children's engagement in shared reading

This longitudinal multiple-case study research focused on the scaffolding strategies that two Israeli deaf mothers use to boost their young hearing children's engagement in reading interactions. Despite being significant to language learning, few studies have examined the dialogic reading practices of deaf-signing mothers. The study shows that until the age of 22 months, the mothers shared picture books with their children. Between the ages of 12 to 24 months, the mothers used mostly low-demand cognitive prompts and responsive utterances. Between the ages of 24 to 36 months, they used more high-demand prompts (including open-ended questions) and expanded their responses. In line with previous studies, this research demonstrated that the Israeli deaf mothers used the books as a foundation for storytelling and reading conversations. The shared reading provided the mothers with opportunities to model the construction of ISL narratives and language functional behaviors, such as asking questions, describing things or expanding on the text.

Stroking in early mother-infant exchanges: The role of maternal tactile biography and interoceptive sensibility

Caress-like is a crucial component of caregiving and a key factor in mother-infant interactions. Mother's experience of touch during her own childhood (i.e., tactile biography) has been found to be related to maternal actual use of caress-like touch (i.e., stroking) during mother-infant exchanges. Evidence also suggests that maternal interoceptive sensibility (i.e., self-perceived sensitivity to inner-body sensations) might be related to sensitive caregiving abilities. However, further empirical investigation is needed to understand to what extent tactile biography and interoceptive sensibility have an impact on mothers' stroking when interacting with their infants. Using an online survey, this cross-sectional study explored the potential association between maternal tactile biography, interoceptive sensibility and use of touch for interaction with their own infants in a group of 377 Italian mothers (mean age = 33.29; SD = 4.79). We tested and compared a series of multivariate linear mediation models using maternal tactile biography as predictor, maternal use of affective touch as outcome variable and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) subscale scores as mediators. We found that, if a mother had positive touch experiences in her own childhood, she may be more likely to use touch in a positive and nurturing way with her own infant (i.e., stroking). Furthermore, mothers' interoceptive sensibility in the form of attention regulation, self-regulation and body listening mediates the association between their past experiences of positive touch and their use of caress-like touch in mother-infant exchanges. This study highlights that maternal tactile biography is directly associated with mothers' use of caress-like touch and indirectly linked to it through the mediating role of interoceptive sensibility.

The impact of maternal gaze responsiveness on infants' gaze following and later vocabulary development

Research has shown that infants' language development is influenced by their gaze following-an ability linked to their cognitive and social development. Following social learning approaches, this pilot study explored whether variations in gaze following and later vocabulary scores relate to early mother-infant interactions by focusing on the role of mothers' gaze responsiveness in infants' attentional and language development. We recruited 15 mother-child pairs in Poland and assessed their engagement in joint attention episodes. Results indicate that mothers foster their infants' gaze-following ability by providing them with numerous opportunities to participate in the task. We also confirmed a correlation between infants' gaze-following ability at 6 months and their vocabulary scores at 24 months. However, combining both infants' gaze following and mothers' gaze monitoring as predictors in one model revealed that maternal gaze monitoring was a stronger predictor of infants' later vocabulary growth. Overall, this study emphasizes that mothers' gaze responsiveness is a crucial feature of scaffolding that impacts on infants' gaze following and language development.

Investigating mother-child inter-brain synchrony in a naturalistic paradigm: A functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning study

Successful social interactions between mothers and children are hypothesised to play a significant role in a child's social, cognitive and language development. Earlier research has confirmed, through structured experimental paradigms, that these interactions could be underpinned by coordinated neural activity. Nevertheless, the extent of neural synchrony during real-life, ecologically valid interactions between mothers and their children remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated mother-child inter-brain synchrony using a naturalistic free-play paradigm. We also examined the relationship between neural synchrony, verbal communication patterns and personality traits to further understand the underpinnings of brain synchrony. Twelve children aged between 3 and 5 years old and their mothers participated in this study. Neural synchrony in mother-child dyads were measured bilaterally over frontal and temporal areas using functional Near Infra-red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) whilst the dyads were asked to play with child-friendly toys together (interactive condition) and separately (independent condition). Communication patterns were captured via video recordings and conversational turns were coded. Compared to the independent condition, mother-child dyads showed increased neural synchrony in the interactive condition across the prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction. There was no significant relationship found between neural synchrony and turn-taking and between neural synchrony and the personality traits of each member of the dyad. Overall, we demonstrate the feasibility of measuring inter-brain synchrony between mothers and children in a naturalistic environment. These findings can inform future study designs to assess inter-brain synchrony between parents and pre-lingual children and/or children with communication needs.

From co-regulation to self-regulation: Maternal soothing strategies and self-efficacy in relation to maternal reports of infant regulation at 3 and 7 months

This study, conducted in Germany, examines the role of maternal soothing strategies to explain the association of maternal self-efficacy with infant regulation (crying and sleeping behavior). Questionnaire data of 150 mothers, living in Germany, with mixed ethnic and educational backgrounds were collected when infants were 3 and 7 months old. Two types of maternal soothing strategies were distinguished: close soothing, involving close physical and emotional contact, and distant soothing, involving physical and emotional distancing from the infant. A cross-sectional SEM at 3 months indicated that maternal self-efficacy is associated with reported infant regulation through distant soothing strategies. Low maternal self-efficacy was associated with frequent maternal use of distant soothing, which in turn was related to reported infant regulation problems, that is, non-soothability and greater crying frequency. Frequent use of close soothing was associated with reported infant sleeping behavior, that is, frequent night-time awakenings. A longitudinal SEM further indicated that the effects of close soothing persisted at least until the infants' age of 7 months. The study showed how low maternal self-efficacy, increased use of distant soothing, and reported early infant regulation problems are intertwined and that, due to their persisting positive effect on infant soothability, close soothing better supports infant development.

The concept analysis of parent-infant bonding during pregnancy and infancy: a systematic review and meta-synthesis

INTRODUCTION

Despite the emerging body of literature on mother-to-infant bonding and the associated variables, there are various definitions of bonding construct. Also, there is a lack of a comprehensive conceptual framework of antecedents and consequences of bonding that would guide empirical work.

OBJECTIVE

Aim of the study was to provide a systematic review and synthesis of concept analysis studies on maternal-foetal, mother-infant, or father-infant bonding.

METHOD

A systematic search was performed in PubMed, EBSCOHost (including PsycINFO), ProQuest, and CINAHL. In addition, a hand search was conducted. Papers were eligible for inclusion if they conducted concept analyses on mother or father to foetus/infant bonding. A qualitative meta-synthesis was applied to synthesise the findings.

RESULTS

Eight papers on concept analyses were eligible for inclusion. In meta-synthesis, six aspects of parent-to-(unborn) child bonding emerged, including direction, domain, process, timing, endurance, and parental gender. Defining attributes are (i) a close relationship, (ii) filled with positive parental affection, (iii) manifested during pregnancy as monitoring foetal development and behaviour and after childbirth in proximity and interaction. Antecedents, affecting factors, and consequences of the parent-child bonding have been summarised.

CONCLUSION

Parent-infant bonding refers to an emotional, behavioural, cognitive, and neurobiological tie of the parent to the (unborn) child, as a process from intention to have a child throughout infancy. This is a parental-driven process which can continue to evolve throughout child's and parent's life, characterised as enduring, committed, and engaged. Based on meta-synthesis, a conceptual structure of parent-infant bonding has been provided, which needs further empirical testing.

Multiple Risk in Pregnancy- Prenatal Risk Constellations and Mother-Infant Interactions, Parenting Stress, and Child Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors: A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study from Pregnancy to 18 Months Postpartum

Multiple risk is associated with adverse developmental outcomes across domains. However, as risk factors tend to cluster, it is important to investigate formation of risk constellations, and how they relate to child and parental outcomes. By means of latent class analysis patterns of prenatal risk factors were identified, and relations to interactional quality, parenting stress, and child internalizing and externalizing behaviors were investigated. An array of prenatal risk factors was assessed in 1036 Norwegian pregnant women participating in a prospective longitudinal community-based study, Little in Norway. Mother-infant interactions were videotaped and scored with the Early Relational Health Screen (ERHS) at 12 months. The Parenting Stress Index (PSI) and Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) were administered at 18 months. First, we analyzed response patterns to prenatal risks to identify number and characteristics of latent classes. Second, we investigated whether latent class membership could predict mother-child interactional quality, parenting stress, and child internalizing and externalizing behavior after the child was born. Results revealed three prenatal risk constellations: broad risk (7.52%), mental health risk (21.62%) and low-risk (70.86%). Membership in the broad risk group predicted lower scores on interactional quality, while membership in the mental health risk group predicted less favorable scores on all outcome measures. Prenatal risks clustered together in specific risk constellations that differentially related to parent, child and interactional outcomes.

Mother-infant interaction and infant development in women at risk of postpartum psychosis with and without a postpartum relapse

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to investigate mother-infant interaction and infant development in women at-risk of postpartum psychosis (PP), with and without a postpartum relapse.

METHODS

103 women (and their offspring) were included, 43 at-risk-of-PP because of a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder or previous PP, and 60 with no current/previous mental illness or family history of PP. Of the at-risk women, 18 developed a psychiatric relapse within 4 weeks after delivery (AR-unwell), while 25 remained symptom-free (AR-well). Mother-infant interaction was assessed using the CARE-Index at 8 weeks' and 12 months' postpartum and infant development using the Bayley-III at 12 months' postpartum.

RESULTS

Women at-risk-of-PP as a group, regardless of whether they developed a psychiatric relapse within 4 weeks after delivery, had less synchronous mother-infant interactions and had infants with less optimal cognitive, language, motor and socio-emotional development than healthy controls. In particular, boys of at-risk women had the lowest scores in cognitive, language and motor development and in mother-infant interaction, while girls of the at-risk women had the lowest scores in socio-emotional development. The synchrony in the dyad predicted infant cognitive and language development. There was no evidence for a difference in mother-infant interaction nor in infant development between the AR-unwell and AR-well groups.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that, while there is a lack of evidence that an early postpartum relapse in women at-risk-of-PP could represent a risk for the infant per se, maternal risk for PP may be associated with less optimal mother-infant interaction and infant development.

Exploring the Interaction Between Preschool Executive Control and Caregiver Emotion Socialization in Predicting Adolescent Weight Trajectories

There is a critical need for research examining how neural vulnerabilities associated with obesity, including lower executive control, interact with family factors to impact weight trajectories across adolescence. Utilizing a longitudinal design, the present study investigated caregivers' emotion socialization practices as a moderator of the association between preschool executive control and adolescent body mass index (BMI) trajectories. Participants were 229 youth (Mage = 5.24, SD = 0.03; 47.2% assigned female at birth; 73.8% White, 3.9% Black, 0.4% Asian American, 21.8% multiracial; 12.7% Hispanic) enrolled in a longitudinal study. At preschool-age, participants completed performance-based executive control tasks, and their caregivers reported on their typical emotion-related socialization behaviors (i.e., supportive and nonsupportive responses to children's negative emotions). Participants returned for annual laboratory visits at ages 14 through 17, during which their height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. Although neither preschool executive control nor caregiver emotion-related socialization behaviors were directly associated with BMI growth in adolescence, supportive responses moderated the association between executive control and BMI trajectories. The expected negative association between lower preschool executive control and greater BMI growth was present at below average levels of supportive responses, suggesting that external regulation afforded by supportive responses might reduce risk for adolescent overweight and obesity among children with lower internal self-regulatory resources during preschool. Findings highlight the importance of efforts to bolster executive control early in development and targeted interventions to promote effective caregiver emotion socialization (i.e., more supportive responses) for youth with lower internal self-regulatory abilities to mitigate risk for overweight and obesity and promote health across childhood and adolescence.

Mother-infant self- and interactive contingency at four months and infant cognition at one year: A view from microanalysis

Although a considerable literature documents associations between early mother-infant interaction and cognitive outcomes in the first years of life, few studies examine the contributions of contingently coordinated mother-infant interaction to infant cognitive development. This study examined associations between the temporal dynamics of the contingent coordination of mother-infant face-to-face interaction at 4 months and cognitive performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at age one year in a sample of (N = 100) Latina mother-infant pairs. Split-screen videotaped interactions were coded on a one second time base for the communication modalities of infant and mother gaze and facial affect, infant vocal affect, and mother touch. Multi-level time-series models evaluated self- and interactive contingent processes in these modalities and revealed 4-month patterns of interaction associated with higher one-year cognitive performance, not identified in prior studies. Infant and mother self-contingency, the moment-to-moment probability that the individual's prior behavior predicts the individual's future behavior, was the most robust measure associated with infant cognitive performance. Self-contingency findings showed that more varying infant behavior was optimal for higher infant cognitive performance, namely, greater modulation of negative affect; more stable maternal behavior was optimal for higher infant cognitive performance, namely, greater likelihood of sustaining positive facial affect. Although interactive contingency findings were sparse, they showed that, when mothers looked away, or dampened their faces to interest or mild negative facial affect, infants with higher 12-month cognitive performance were less likely to show negative vocal affect. We suggest that infant ability to modulate negative affect, and maternal ability to sustain positive affect, may be mutually reinforcing, together creating a dyadic climate that is associated with more optimal infant cognitive development.

Neural correlates of altered emotional responsivity to infant stimuli in mothers who use substances

Mothers who use substances during pregnancy and postpartum may have altered maternal behavior towards their infants, which can have negative consequences on infant social-emotional development. Since maternal substance use has been associated with difficulties in recognizing and responding to infant emotional expressions, investigating mothers' subjective responses to emotional infant stimuli may provide insight into the neural and psychological processes underlying these differences in maternal behavior. In this study, 39 mothers who used substances during the perinatal period and 42 mothers who did not underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while viewing infant faces and hearing infant cries. Afterwards, they rated the emotional intensity they thought each infant felt ('think'-rating), and how intensely they felt in response to each infant stimulus ('feel'-rating). Mothers who used substances had lower 'feel'-ratings of infant stimuli compared to mothers who did not. Brain regions implicated in affective processing (e.g., insula, inferior frontal gyrus) were less active in response to infant stimuli, and activity in these brain regions statistically predicted maternal substance-use status. Interestingly, 'think'-ratings and activation in brain regions related to cognitive processing (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex) were comparable between the two groups of mothers. Taken together, these results suggest specific neural and psychological processes related to emotional responsivity to infant stimuli may reflect differences in maternal affective processing and may contribute to differences in maternal behavior in mothers who use substances compared to mothers who do not. The findings suggest potential neural targets for increasing maternal emotional responsivity and improving child outcomes.

Oxytocin and state attachment responses to secure base support after stress in middle childhood

We tried to replicate the finding that receiving care increases children's oxytocin and secure state attachment levels, and tested whether secure trait attachment moderates the oxytocin and state attachment response to care. 109 children (9-11 years old; M = 9.59; SD = 0.63; 34.9% boys) participated in a within-subject experiment. After stress induction (Trier Social Stress Test), children first remained alone and then received maternal secure base support. Salivary oxytocin was measured eight times. Secure trait and state attachment were measured with questionnaires, and Secure Base Script knowledge was assessed. Oxytocin levels increased after receiving secure base support from mother after having been alone. Secure state attachment changed less. Trait attachment and Secure Base Script knowledge did not moderate oxytocin or state attachment responses to support. This might mean that, regardless of the attachment history, in-the-moment positive attachment experiences might have a beneficial effect on trait attachment development in middle childhood.

Child hyperactivity, mother-child negativity, and sibling dyad negativity: A transactional family systems approach

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. While most studies in this field have focused on the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of the disorder, research focusing on the family environment as a critical context contributing toward the manifestation and maintenance of child ADHD symptoms is still less extensive. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine longitudinal and bidirectional associations between child hyperactivity, mother-child negativity, and sibling dyad negativity. Data were analyzed of up to 4,429 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a nationally representative prospective birth cohort study in the United Kingdom, at three time points (T1-T3, children aged 4, 7, and 8 years). At baseline (T1, n = 4,063), the child sample (98.8% White ethnic background) composed of 51.6% males. Child hyperactivity symptoms, mother-child negativity, and sibling dyad negativity were examined based on maternal reports. The random intercepts cross-lagged panel model was adopted to parcel out between-family differences from within-family fluctuations and test bidirectional associations. On the between-family level, families with higher child hyperactivity reported higher mother-child and sibling dyad negativity. On the within-family level, unidirectional spillover processes between sibling dyad negativity and mother-child negativity as well as between mother-child negativity and child hyperactivity emerged. Future work in the area of child hyperactivity should implement a transactional family systems approach incorporating both parent-child and sibling subsystems. Interventions to reduce negative interactions between parents and hyperactive children may offer promising improvements in child symptoms and thus alleviate family burden. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal control and eating styles in children: The mediating role of emotion differentiation

Introduction: Theoretical accounts and empirical research suggest that mother-child interactions significantly influence the child's eating styles (emotional, external, and restrained eating). However, little or no research has explored the association between maternal psychological control and eating styles and whether other mechanisms may be involved in such association. To address this shortcoming, the present study aimed to investigate the mediating role of difficulties in differentiating emotions between maternal control and eating styles.Methods: Participants were 324 elementary school children (Girls = 172, 53.1%) aged between 8 and 11 years (Mage = 9.13, SD = .89) assessed through self-report measures. Parents provided information about weight and height.Results: Path analysis model showed an acceptable fit to the data (χ2 (3) = 3.966, p = .256; RMSEA = .032; CFI = .990; TLI = .911; SRMR = .018). Difficulties in differentiating emotions significantly mediated the relationship between maternal control and emotional eating (β = -.071, 95%CI [-.094, -.052]; p < .001). The model was invariant across genders.Conclusions: Our findings support the importance of dyadic interaction in enhancing the risk for dysfunctional eating style during infancy, showing that emotion differentiation deficits may be particularly salient in such relationship. Clinical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Do toys get in the way? The duration of shared emotional experiences is longer when mothers engage their infants without toys

During mother-infant interaction, shared emotional experiences, defined as reciprocal and synchronous emotional sharing between mother and infant, are an indicator of early relational health. Yet, it is unclear how mothers' efforts to engage with their infants relate to dyadic-level shared emotional experiences. Utilizing a sample of 80 randomly selected videos of the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we examined how mothers' bids for interaction with their 6-month-old infants related to the duration of shared emotional experiences. An event sampling, sequential coding system was used to identify a maternal bid for interaction (i.e., with toy, without toy) and the subsequent presence or absence of a shared emotional experience, including duration of the shared emotional experience. Results indicated that shared emotional experiences were longer following mothers' efforts to engage their infants in play without toys. Findings suggest that methods matter; researchers and practitioners interested in studying and promoting shared emotional experiences between mothers and infants may wish to focus on dyadic interactions without toys.

An exploration of the domain specificity of maternal sensitivity among a diverse sample in the infancy period: Unique paths to child outcomes

Maternal sensitivity during an observed mother-child clean-up task at 18 months and maternal sensitivity during an observed mother-child free-play task at 18 months were tested as independent predictors of child internalizing symptoms, externalizing symptoms, social competence, and language development at 24 months. Participants (n = 292 mothers) were recruited between 2015 and 2017, and were low-income (mean annual income = $19,136) and racially and ethnically diverse (43.8% Black; 44.2% Latinx). Maternal sensitivity during clean-up was a significant predictor of all social-emotional outcomes, and a unique predictor of child internalizing symptoms. Maternal sensitivity during free-play was a unique predictor of child language. Results suggest that context-specific subtypes of maternal sensitivity may differentially relate to early child outcomes.

Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors

A growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational, familial/demographic, and perinatal predictors of attachment in a sample of 63 Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm (VEPT, <32 gestational weeks) and their mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. One-third of the mothers had social/family risk factors (e.g., single parent, immigrant, unemployed, low education, and/or low income). At 3 months (corrected age), dyads were observed during social interaction in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF) and during free play. At 12 months, mother-infant dyads were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Over half (58.7%) of the infants were classified as insecurely attached. Social-Positive Oriented regulatory behavior pattern, higher maternal sensitivity, higher infant cooperation during free play, number of siblings and an absence of social/family risk factors were associated with attachment security. Perinatal variables were unrelated to attachment. Findings indicate that both relational and social contextual factors contribute to attachment in this biologically vulnerable sample.

A virtual mother-infant postpartum psychotherapy group for mothers with a history of adverse childhood experiences: open-label feasibility study

OBJECTIVES

Mothers with a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are at elevated risk for postpartum mental illness and impairment in the mother-infant relationship. Interventions attending to maternal-infant interactions may improve outcomes for these parents and their children, but barriers to accessing in-person postpartum care limit uptake. We adapted a postpartum psychotherapy group for mothers with mental illness (e.g., mood, anxiety, trauma-related disorders) and ACE for live video-based delivery, and evaluated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy in an open-label pilot study.

METHODS

We recruited adults with children (6-18 months) from a perinatal psychiatry program in Toronto, Canada. The intervention was a live video-based 12-week interactive psychotherapy group focused on maternal symptoms and maternal-infant relationships. The primary outcome was feasibility, including feasibility of recruitment and retention, fidelity of the intervention, and acceptability to patients and group providers. Maternal clinical outcomes were compared pre- to post-intervention, as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

We recruited 31 participants (mean age 36.5 years (SD 3.9)) into 6 groups; 93.6% (n = 29) completed post-group questionnaires, and n = 20 completed an optional post-group acceptability interview. Mean weekly group attendance was 83% (IQR 80-87); one participant (3.2%) dropped out. All group components were implemented as planned, except for dyadic exercises where facilitator observation of dyads was replaced with unobserved mother-infant exercises followed by in-group reflection. Participant acceptability was high (100% indicated the virtual group was easy to access, beneficial, and reduced barriers to care). Mean maternal depressive [Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale: 14.6 (SD 4.2) vs. 11.8 (SD 4.2), paired t, p = 0.005] and post-traumatic stress [Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5: 35.5 (SD 19.0) vs. 27.1 (SD 16.7)], paired t, p = 0.01] symptoms were significantly lower post vs. pre-group. No differences were observed on mean measures of anxiety, emotion regulation or parenting stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Recruitment and retention met a priori feasibility criteria. There were significant pre- to post-group reductions in maternal depressive and post-traumatic symptoms, supporting proceeding to larger-scale implementation and evaluation of the intervention, with adaptation of dyadic exercises.

Pregnant women's autonomic responses to an infant cry predict young infants' behavioral avoidance during the still-face paradigm

Research suggests that women's autonomic nervous system responses to infant cries capture processes that affect their parenting behaviors. The aim of this study was to build on prior work by testing whether pregnant women's autonomic responses to an unfamiliar infant crying also predict their infants' emerging regulation abilities. Participants included 97 women in their third trimester of pregnancy, located in the United States. Most participants identified as White/non-Hispanic (48%) or Hispanic (30%), their mean age was approximately 30 years, and the modal family income was $40,000-$79,999. Pregnant women's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance levels (SCL)-which are thought to capture emotional engagement and behavioral inhibition, respectively-were measured while the women watched a relaxing video and a video of an unfamiliar infant crying. Approximately 7 months later, women and their infants completed the still-face paradigm (SFP). Infants' avoidance and resistance behaviors during the SFP reunions were rated. Pregnant women's RSA and SCL responses to the infant cry video uniquely predicted infants' avoidance (but not resistance) during the SFP. Infants displayed higher levels of avoidance when their mothers exhibited lower levels of RSA reactivity or when their mothers exhibited higher levels of SCL activity in response to the infant cry video. Maternal sensitivity during mother-infant free-play interactions did not mediate the associations between pregnant women's autonomic responses to the cry video and infants' avoidant behavior during the SFP. Discussion focuses on potential mechanisms underlying associations between pregnant women's autonomic responses to infant distress and infants' socioemotional development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Primiparous mothers' parenting self-efficacy in managing toddler distress: Childhood nonsupportive emotion socialization, adult attachment style, and toddler temperament as antecedents

Early maternal sensitivity to child distress is predictive of child subsequent social-emotional adjustment. A mother's global parenting self-efficacy shapes her adaptive responses to child challenging behaviors (e.g., negative emotions). However, little is known about the antecedents of maternal self-efficacy in managing child distress. Using longitudinal data from a diverse sample of 259 primiparous mothers and their toddlers, we tested a model predicting maternal self-efficacy in managing toddler distress. Mothers' remembered childhood experiences of maternal nonsupportive emotional socialization were positively associated with their self-reports of attachment avoidance and anxiety. Furthermore, a negative link between mothers' self-reports of attachment avoidance and their self-efficacy in managing toddler distress was identified when toddlers displayed higher negative affect. Most importantly, a conditional indirect pathway was found. That is, only when toddlers displayed higher negative affect, mothers' remembered early experiences of maternal nonsupportive emotional socialization were negatively associated with their self-efficacy in managing toddler distress through a positive association with their self-reports of attachment avoidance. Although maternal attachment assessed with Adult Attachment Interview was also included in analyses as a parallel mediator to self-reported attachment, no relevant effects emerged. These results suggest that by disrupting attachment development, parents' early emotion socialization experiences hold long-standing implications for their subsequent confidence in managing child distress. Child distress as a threatening, attachment-related stimulus may contextualize such effects via interfering with the operation of caregiving system, especially for avoidant parents. Such findings may inform the designs of more targeted interventions to assist first-time mothers in navigating emotionally evocative challenges during toddlerhood. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mother-to-infant bonding mediates the effects of depressive and anxious postpartum symptoms on parenting stress

A number of studies have suggested close associations between maternal postpartum mental health (depressive and anxious symptoms), mother-infant bonding, and parenting stress. However, the relationship between maternal bonding and parenting stresshas hardly been explored in published literature. This cross-sectional study explored whether maternal bonding could mediate the effect of postpartum maternal mental health on parenting stress. This study assessed maternal bonding (MPAS), depressive and anxious symptoms (EPDS; STAI), and parenting stress (PSI) at 3 months postpartum in a community sample of 105 women (M (SD) = 32.60 (4.18) years old). Spearman's correlation analyses showed moderate to high correlations between these factors. The three mediation models run showed that mother's MPAS partially mitigates the effects of EPDS (b = 0.71; SE = 0.217; 95% CI = 0.290/1.136) and STAI State (b = 0.39; SE = 0.113; 95% CI = 0.178/0.625) on PSI, and totally mediated the relationship between STAI Trait and PSI (b = 0.59; SE = 0.155; 95% CI = 0.303/0.912). Maternal bonding resulted to be a relevant factor in the association between maternal mental health and parenting stress. This highlights the importance of interventions focusing on mother-infant relationship to reduce parenting stress and prevent developmental difficulties in children.

Birth related PTSD and its association with the mother-infant relationship: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

There is a growing body of research showing that birth related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms may impact the mother-infant relationship. The present study assessed the strength of the association between birth related PTSD symptoms and the mother-infant relationship.

METHOD

A total of twelve studies (5,572 participants) were included based on database searches using PubMed, EBSCO and ProQuest.

RESULTS

The findings showed that greater levels of birth related PTSD symptoms were associated with poorer mother-infant relationship, r = -0.36, 95% CI: [-0.43 - -0.28], random effects model. The outcomes appeared to be heterogeneous (Q(11) = 81.63, p <.001, tau2 = 0.0123, I2 = 80.73%), despite all outcomes being in the same direction as the overall outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that birth related PTSD symptoms are negatively associated with the mother-infant relationship. Further investigation into the prevention of birth related trauma is suggested. Improving birthing experiences for mothers is likely to contribute to improved infant mental health, thereby reducing overall social and economic costs.

From mother to child: How intergenerational transfer is reflected in similarity of corticolimbic brain structure and mental health

BACKGROUND

Intergenerational transfer effects include traits transmission from parent to child. While behaviorally well documented, studies on intergenerational transfer effects for brain structure or functioning are scarce, especially those examining relations of behavioral and neurobiological endophenotypes. This study aims to investigate behavioral and neural intergenerational transfer effects associated with the corticolimbic circuitry, relevant for socioemotional functioning and mental well-being.

METHODS

T1-neuroimaging and behavioral data was obtained from 72 participants (39 mother-child dyads/ 39 children; 7-13 years; 16 girls/ 33 mothers; 26-52 years). Gray matter volume (GMV) was extracted from corticolimbic regions (subcortical: amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens; neocortical: anterior cingulate, medial orbitofrontal areas). Mother-child similarity was quantified by correlation coefficients and comparisons to random adult-child pairs.

RESULTS

We identified significant corticolimbic mother-child similarity (r = 0.663) stronger for subcortical over neocortical regions. Mother-child similarity in mental well-being was significant (r = 0.409) and the degree of dyadic similarity in mental well-being was predicted by similarity in neocortical, but not subcortical GMV.

CONCLUSION

Intergenerational neuroimaging reveals significant mother-child transfer for corticolimbic GMV, most strongly for subcortical regions. However, variations in neocortical similarity predicted similarity in mother-child well-being. Ultimately, such techniques may enhance our knowledge of behavioral and neural familial transfer effects relevant for health and disease.

Maternal reminiscing during middle childhood: Associations with maternal personality and child temperament from the Growing Up in New Zealand cohort study

The way that mothers talk about the past (reminisce) with young children is linked to key memory, language, and socioemotional outcomes. The present research explored the role of a range of child, maternal, socioeconomic, and cultural factors that predict maternal reminiscing style, with a particular focus on maternal personality and child temperament. A total of 1,404 mother-child dyads from the prebirth longitudinal cohort study Growing Up in New Zealand (https://www.growingup.co.nz) participated in a reminiscing task about a negative event when children were 8 years old. This broader cohort is broadly representative of the New Zealand population in terms of maternal ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Conversations were scored using a revised version of the Elaborative Reminiscing Scale. Child temperament during infancy, but not childhood, uniquely predicted maternal reminiscing style. Maternal extraversion also predicted a more elaborative reminiscing style. Other maternal factors, including education, ethnicity, and age, were also identified as unique predictors of maternal reminiscing style. These findings fit well with an ecological systems view of maternal reminiscing as a function of child, maternal, and cultural factors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Child and Maternal Factors Associated with Feeding Practices in Children with Poor Growth

The development of adequate growth and healthy eating behaviors depends on nutritious food and responsive feeding practices. Our study examined (1) the relationship between maternal concern about child weight or perceived feeding difficulties and their feeding practices, and (2) the moderating role of child temperament and maternal mental health on their feeding practices. A cross-sessional study included mother-child dyads (n = 98) from a tertiary growth and feeding clinic. Children had a mean age of 12.7 ± 5.0 months and a mean weight-for-age z-score of -2.0 ± 1.3. Responsive and controlling feeding practices were measured with the Infant Feeding Styles Questionnaire. Spearman correlation and moderation analysis were performed. Maternal concern about child weight and perceived feeding difficulties were negatively correlated with responsive feeding (r = -0.40, -0.48, p < 0.001). A greater concern about child weight or perceived feeding difficulties was associated with greater use of pressure feeding practices when effortful control was low (B = 0.49, t = 2.47, p = 0.01; B = -0.27, p = 0.008). Maternal anxiety had a significant moderation effect on the relationship between feeding difficulty and pressure feeding (B = -0.04, p = 0.009). Higher maternal concern about child weight and perceived feeding difficulties were associated with less responsive satiety feeding beliefs and behaviors. Both child effortful control and maternal anxiety influenced the relationship between weight and feeding concerns and the use of pressure feeding practices.

The structural model of mother-infant bonding in the first pregnancy based on the mother's attachment style and parenting style: the mediating role of mentalization and shame

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the mother's attachment style and parenting style and mother-infant bonding in the first pregnancy considering the mediating role of mentalization and shame.

METHODS

This was a descriptive-correlational study. The sample population included the women who had gone through their first pregnancy and were referred to the health centers in Neyshabur, Iran in 2022. In total, 330 women were selected by convenience sampling. To collect data, we used a demographic questionnaire, the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Parenting Style Questionnaire, the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and the Guilt and Shame Proneness Scale. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive indices, correlation coefficients, and pass analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, the findings showed that the studied model adequately fits the data. Further, the obtained results confirmed the mediating role of mentalization and shame in the relationship between the mother's attachment style and parenting style and mother-infant bonding. A significant correlation was also observed between attachment styles, parenting styles, and mother-infant bonding (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Mother-infant bonding is correlated with the mother's attachment style/parenting style, shame, and mentalization. Thus, we can help vulnerable mothers by improving the quality of psychological care before the first pregnancy or during pregnancy.

Are changes in mothers' representations of their infants related to changes in observed mother-infant interaction quality?

Infant mental health clinicians aiming to improve mother-infant dyads at risk typically target mothers' representations of their infant or mother-infant interactions, assuming that one port of entry leads to change in the other. However, little is known about the relation between changes in mothers' representations and in mother-infant interactions. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate this in a low- to moderate-risk community sample of 152 mothers (M = 29.7 years) of infants aged 0-2 years (M = 11.5 months) recruited from rural and urban cities in Norway. The mothers' representations were measured using the Working Model of the Child Interview, and the quality of the mother-infant interactions was measured with the Emotional Availability Scales. We found no evidence of a relation between mothers' changed representations and changed quality of mother-infant interactions. Several explanations concerning the low-risk status of the sample, the observation situation, the time between assessment points, and the homogeneous scores from the instruments used are discussed, as are the implications for clinical practice and future research.

Behavioral and neural measures of infant responsivity increase with maternal multisensory input in non-irritable infants

INTRODUCTION

Parents often use sensory stimulation during early-life interactions with infants. These interactions, including gazing, rocking, or singing, scaffold child development. Previous studies have examined infant neural processing during highly controlled sensory stimulus presentation paradigms.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we investigated infant behavioral and neural responsiveness during a mother-child social interaction during which the mother provided infant stimulation with a progressive increase in the number of sensory modalities.

METHODS

We prospectively collected and analyzed video-coded behavioral interactions and electroencephalogram (EEG) frontal asymmetry (FAS) from infants (n = 60) at 2-4 months born at ≥ 34 weeks gestation. As the number of sensory modalities progressively increased during the interaction, infant behaviors of emotional connection in facial expressiveness, sensitivity to mother, and vocal communication increased significantly. Conversely, infant FAS for the entire cohort did not change significantly. However, when we accounted for infant irritability, both video-coded behaviors and EEG FAS markers of infant responsiveness increased across the interaction in the non-irritable infants. The non-irritable infants (49%) demonstrated positive FAS, indicating readiness to engage with, rather than to withdraw from, multisensory but not unisensory interactions with their mothers.

RESULTS

These results suggest that multisensory input from mothers is associated with greater infant neural approach state and highlight the importance of infant behavioral state during neural measures of infant responsiveness.

Preterm infant mental health in the neonatal intensive care unit: A review of research on NICU parent-infant interactions and maternal sensitivity

Caregiving relationships in the postnatal period are critical to an infant's development. Preterm infants and their parents face unique challenges in this regard, with infants experiencing separation from parents, uncomfortable procedures, and increased biologic vulnerability, and parents facing difficulties assuming caregiver roles and increased risk for psychological distress. To better understand the NICU parent-infant relationship, we conducted a review of the literature and identified 52 studies comparing observed maternal, infant, and dyadic interaction behavior in preterm dyads with full-term dyads. Eighteen of 40 studies on maternal behavior found less favorable behavior, including decreased sensitivity and more intrusiveness in mothers of preterm infants, seven studies found the opposite, four studies found mixed results, and 11 studies found no differences. Seventeen of 25 studies on infant behavior found less responsiveness in preterm infants, two studies found the opposite, and the remainder found no difference. Eighteen out of 14 studies on dyad-specific behavior reported less synchrony in preterm dyads and the remainder found no differences. We identify confounding factors that may explain variations in results, present an approach to interpret existing data by framing differences in maternal behavior as potentially adaptive in the context of prematurity, and suggest future areas for exploration.

Treating postpartum affective and/or anxiety disorders in a mother-baby day hospital: preliminary results

INTRODUCTION

Women experiencing perinatal mental-health illness have unique needs. The present study analyzes preliminary data about the effectiveness of MBDH in treating postpartum women with affective and anxiety disorders.

METHODS

We analysed 33 mothers with affective and/or anxiety disorders treated at the MBDH with their babies between March 2018 and December 2019. All women were assessed at admission, discharge and three months after discharge. Outcomes included symptoms of depression (EPDS) and anxiety (STAI-S), mother-infant bonding (PBQ) and functional impairment (HoNOs). We also assessed the clinical significance of changes in patients' scores on these scales and patient satisfaction.

RESULTS

At discharge, no patients still met the full criteria for the main diagnosis. Between admission and discharge, symptoms of depression and anxiety, mother-infant bonding, functional impairment and autonomy in caring for babies improved significantly. These gains were maintained at three months follow-up. Patient satisfaction was high.

CONCLUSIONS

These preliminary results suggest that multidisciplinary intervention for postpartum women with affective or anxiety disorders at the MBDH improves maternal psychopathology, mother-infant bonding and mothers' ability to care for their babies. MBDHs are a promising approach for delivering specialised perinatal mental-health care for mother-baby dyads.

Nonverbal face-to-face interactions in macaques and humans: A translational pilot study

Human and nonhuman primate mother-infant dyads engage in face-to-face interactions critical for optimal infant development. In semi-free-ranging rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), maternal primiparity and infant sex influence the expression of nonverbal face-to-face mother-infant interactions. However, whether similar patterns of variation exist in laboratory-housed macaques or human mothers is not well understood. Comparing both species would yield information regarding the translational validity of macaques to humans in this important social/developmental domain. In this pilot study, we first compared semi-free-ranging (n = 39) and laboratory-housed (n = 20) macaques, finding that laboratory-housed dyads, first-time mothers, and mothers of sons engaged in higher rates of face-to-face interactions regardless of housing. After translating the nonhuman primate coding scheme for use in a small but diverse group of human mother-infant dyads (N = 27; 44.4% African American, 18.5% American Indian, 7.4% Asian/Asian American, and 29.6% White), we found that, like macaques, human mothers of sons engaged in more face-to-face interactions; however, experienced (vs. first-time) mothers engaged in more interactions. Macaques and humans also engaged in species-specific interactions with their infants. We conclude that components of caregiver-infant nonverbal face-to-face interactions are translatable across human and nonhuman primate species and represent an exciting avenue for future caregiving work.

Parental sensitivity, family alliance and infants' vagal tone: Influences of early family interactions on physiological emotion regulation

In this study, we investigated the influence of parental sensitivity and family alliance on infants' vagal tone, considered as a physiological indicator of emotion regulation. Studies on mother-infant interactions have shown that vagal tone can be influenced by the quality of the interaction, such as interacting with a sensitive mother. To date, no study has investigated the influence of paternal sensitivity or family alliance on infants' vagal tone. We hypothesized that maternal sensitivity, paternal sensitivity, and family alliance would be associated with infants' vagal tone during dyadic and triadic interactions. We also explored if family alliance would act as a moderator on the association between parental sensitivity and vagal tone and if the sensitivity of both parents would act as a moderator on the association between family alliance and vagal tone. This study took place in Switzerland and included 82 families with their 3-4-month-old infants. Results showed that maternal sensitivity and family alliance were associated with infants' vagal tone, but paternal sensitivity was not. We found no significant moderation effect. However, result tendencies suggested that the contribution of paternal sensitivity to infants' emotion regulation could be influenced by family alliance, whereas maternal sensitivity and family alliance have a unique contribution.

Attachment Reminders Trigger Widespread Synchrony across Multiple Brains

Infant stimuli elicit widespread neural and behavioral response in human adults, and such massive allocation of resources attests to the evolutionary significance of the primary attachment. Here, we examined whether attachment reminders also trigger cross-brain concordance and generate greater neural uniformity, as indicated by intersubject correlation. Human mothers were imaged twice in oxytocin/placebo administration design, and stimuli included four ecological videos of a standard unfamiliar mother and infant: two infant/mother alone (Alone) and two mother-infant dyadic contexts (Social). Theory-driven analysis measured cross-brain synchrony in preregistered nodes of the parental caregiving network (PCN), which integrates subcortical structures underpinning mammalian mothering with cortical areas implicated in simulation, mentalization, and emotion regulation, and data-driven analysis assessed brain-wide concordance using whole-brain parcellation. Results demonstrated widespread cross-brain synchrony in both the PCN and across the neuroaxis, from primary sensory/somatosensory areas, through insular-cingulate regions, to temporal and prefrontal cortices. The Social context yielded significantly more cross-brain concordance, with PCNs striatum, parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal sulcus, ACC, and PFC displaying cross-brain synchrony only to mother-infant social cues. Moment-by-moment fluctuations in mother-infant social synchrony, ranging from episodes of low synchrony to tightly coordinated positive bouts, were tracked online by cross-brain concordance in the preregistered ACC. Findings indicate that social attachment stimuli, representing evolutionary-salient universal cues that require no verbal narrative, trigger substantial interbrain concordance and suggest that the mother-infant bond, an icon standing at the heart of human civilization, may function to glue brains into a unified experience and bind humans into social groups.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Infant stimuli elicit widespread neural response in human adults, attesting to their evolutionary significance, but do they also trigger cross-brain concordance and induce neural uniformity among perceivers? We measured cross-brain synchrony to ecological mother-infant videos. We used theory-driven analysis, measuring cross-brain concordance in the parenting network, and data-driven analysis, assessing brain-wide concordance using whole-brain parcellation. Attachment cues triggered widespread cross-brain concordance in both the parenting network and across the neuroaxis. Moment-by-moment fluctuations in behavioral synchrony were tracked online by cross-brain variability in ACC. Attachment reminders bind humans' brains into a unitary experience and stimuli characterized by social synchrony enhance neural similarity among participants, describing one mechanism by which attachment bonds provide the neural template for the consolidation of social groups.

Effect of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy on mother-to-infant bonding and the mediation effect of postpartum depression: the Japan Environment and Children's Study

BACKGROUND

Mother-to-infant bonding (MIB) is critical for the health and well-being of the mother and child. Furthermore, MIB has been shown to boost the social-emotional development of infants, while also giving mothers a sense of happiness in raising their children. Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) is a normal complication of pregnancy, occurring in approximately 50-90% of pregnant women in the early stages of pregnancy. Despite widespread knowledge of MIB and postpartum depression, little research attention has been given to the effects of NVP on MIB. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between NVP and MIB and the mediating effects of postpartum depression.

METHODS

We analyzed the data of 88,424 infants and 87,658 mothers from the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), which is a government-funded nationwide birth prospective cohort study. The Japanese version of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS-J) was used to assess MIB, and the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) was utilized to assess postpartum depression. We divided participants into four groups according to a self-reported questionnaire assessing NVP (No NVP, Mild NVP, Moderate NVP, and Severe NVP). MIB disorder was defined as a MIBS-J score ≥ 5. Logistic analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of NVP on MIB disorder at one year after delivery. A mediation analysis was conducted to examine whether postpartum depression mediated the association between NVP and MIBS-J scores.

RESULTS

The logistic regression analysis results revealed reduced risks of MIB disorder among mothers with Moderate NVP (adjusted OR 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.86-0.99) and Severe NVP (adjusted OR 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-0.89), compared to those with No NVP. The mediation analysis revealed that NVP positively correlated with MIBS-J score in the indirect effect via postpartum depression, while NVP (Mild NVP, Moderate NVP, and Severe NVP) negatively correlated with MIBS-J score in the direct effect.

CONCLUSION

The risks of MIB disorder were reduced in the Moderate NVP and Severe NVP mothers, although NVP inhibited the development of MIB via postpartum depression. The development of effective interventions for postpartum depression is important to improve MIB among mothers with NVP.

(In)congruence in child-mother relationships and depressive symptoms in cross-boundary families

A large number of school-aged children traveling between Mainland China and Hong Kong every day to attend school are known as cross-boundary students (). Daily cross-boundary schooling is likely to be a constant challenge for cross-boundary students and their families, putting them at great risk of mental health problems (e.g., depression). Nevertheless, intergenerational relationships may be positive contributors to their adaptation. Guided by the interdependence theory and the operations triad model, this study employed dyadic response surface analysis to take into account linear and curvilinear associations between child-mother relationships and their depressive symptoms. The cross-sectional results based on 187 child-mother dyads showed that when children and mothers reported relatively high levels of closeness and relatively low levels of conflict, they reported fewer depressive symptoms. The extreme closeness between children and their mothers posed particular risks to mothers, increasing maternal depressive symptoms. When children and mothers reported varying levels of closeness and conflict, they displayed greater depressive symptoms. One exception was that no significant association was observed between incongruence in closeness and children's depressive symptoms. Family-based interventions should be considered for promoting optimal child-mother combinations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Parents' secure base script knowledge predicts observed sensitive caregiving and discipline toward twin children

The present study investigated associations between parents' secure base script knowledge and parental sensitivity and sensitive discipline in 461 families with 922 same-sex twin children (Mage = 7.00, SD = 2.18). In addition, we explored whether the strength of the associations between parents' secure base script knowledge and parental sensitivity and sensitive discipline were similar for mono- and dizygotic twin siblings. Parental sensitivity was observed during a computerized version of a structured cooperative drawing task (Etch-A-Sketch). Sensitive discipline was observed during a "Don't touch task" or during a "Do-Don't task". Parental sensitivity and discipline strategies were observed twice, once with each twin sibling. Parents' knowledge of the secure base script was measured with the Attachment Script Assessment. Linear mixed model analyses showed that parents with more secure base script knowledge interacted with their twin children in a more sensitive manner and showed more sensitive discipline. These findings show for the first time that parents' secure base script knowledge predicts not only parental sensitivity but also sensitive discipline. Associations between parents' secure base script knowledge and parental sensitivity and sensitive discipline were not impacted by children's similarity in genetic makeup. Future longitudinal studies utilizing multiple measures of sensitivity and discipline across the infancy, childhood, and early adolescence periods could provide more insight into the continuity of relations between secure base script knowledge and parental sensitivity and sensitive discipline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mind-mindedness and preschool children's behavioral difficulties: The moderating role of maternal parenting distress

Mind-mindedness (MM) is a caregiver's tendency to appreciate their infant's internal mental states. This longitudinal study investigated whether maternal MM (10 months) was linked with children's later behavioral problems (51 months) and the moderating role of maternal parenting distress (PD; 36 months) in a sample of 91 mother-infant dyads. Appropriate MM comments were coded from video-recorded, semi-structured play interactions between mothers and their infants; PD was obtained from maternal completion of the PD subscale of the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF); and child internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were gathered from maternal report on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Moderated regression analyses revealed higher early appropriate MM was associated with significantly fewer internalizing emotional problems at 51 months among mothers with lower PD at 36 months, and higher early appropriate MM was associated with lower conduct problems at 51 months in mothers with higher PD at 36 months. Findings demonstrated the importance of considering nuanced contexts such as at-risk mothers and differential presentations of child difficulties in the analysis of the relationship between MM and child behavioral difficulties and the development of MM interventions.

Sequelae of infants' negative affectivity in the contexts of emerging distinct attachment organizations: Multifinality in mother-child and father-child dyads across the first year

Infants' high negative affectivity often initiates maladaptive parent-child relational processes that may involve both the parent's and the child's sides of the relationship. We proposed that infants' high negative affectivity triggers distinct sequelae in dyads classified as avoidant, resistant, and disorganized, compared to secure dyads. In 200 community families, at 8 months, we observed infants' negative affectivity; at 16 months, we assessed attachment organization and collected observations and reports of parent-related (responsiveness, resentment of child, power assertion, and intrusiveness) and child-related (social-emotional competence, opposition, and anger) constructs. In mother-child avoidant dyads, infants' high negative affectivity was a significant precursor of mothers' higher resentment and intrusiveness and children's lower social-emotional competence. Those associations were significantly different than in secure dyads (in which none were significant). In father-child disorganized dyads, infants' high negative affectivity was a significant precursor of fathers' lower responsiveness and higher resentment; there were no association in secure dyads. Regardless of infants' negative affectivity, compared to secure dyads, parents in resistant dyads expressed more resentment of child, and avoidant and resistant children were more oppositional to their fathers. The study illustrates multifinality in parent- and child-related processes that characterize unfolding early relational dynamics in dyads differing in just-emerging attachment.

Maternal depressive symptoms and affective responses to infant crying and laughing

Depressive symptoms are common in the postpartum period and can affect mother-infant interaction. To better understand the role of depressive symptoms in the mother-infant interchange, this study examined whether maternal depressive symptoms are associated with self-reported, physiological, and facial expressive responses to infant crying and laughing sounds. A nonclinical sample was used, consisting of 101 mothers (Age M = 30.88 years, 33% scored 7 or higher on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) with a young child. Mothers were exposed to standard infant crying and laughing sounds. Affect, perception of crying and laughing, intended caregiving responses, skin conductance level reactivity, and facial expressive responses to infant crying and laughing were measured. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with more self-reported negative affect in general and a more negative perception of infant crying. Depressive symptoms were not associated with intended caregiving responses and physiological responses to infant crying. Infant laughing increased self-reported positive affect and happy facial expressions in mothers with all levels of depressive symptoms. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with higher sad facial expressivity in general. Depressive symptoms were not related to positive perception of infant laughing, intended caregiving responses, and physiological responses to infant laughing. The findings suggest that mothers who score high on depressive symptoms send subtle facial cues showing sadness, which may overshadow happy facial expressions during infant laughing and may affect mother-infant interaction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Reflective functioning and mother-infant relationships among mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder post-therapy

The stressful nature of parenting infants exacerbates the characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Consequently, mothers with BPD tend to be emotionally dysregulated, respond impulsively to their infants, and have poorer mother-infant relationships. Few parenting interventions target the specific skill deficits observed in mothers with BPD. This study explored the differences in parental reflective functioning (PRF) and mother-infant relationship quality at baseline and following a 24-week, group parenting intervention for mothers with BPD. PRF and mother-infant relationship quality were assessed from quantitative (N = 23) and qualitative (N = 32) perspectives. Quantitative data (Parental Reflective Functioning Questionnaire) showed a significant improvement in one of the three subscales, Interest and Curiosity, between baseline and post-intervention, and a significant moderate positive association between the subscale Certainty of Mental States and maternal-infant interaction quality post-intervention. Improvements in mother-infant relationship quality were not evident from the observational measure, Nursing Child Assessment Satellite Teaching scale. In contrast, semi-structured interview qualitative data found maternal improvements in parental reflection, coping strategies implemented post-intervention, and quality of mother-infant relationships. Overwhelmingly positive intervention feedback suggested perceived maternal benefits of group format and skills taught. Future studies with larger sample sizes would allow further clarification of such parenting interventions for mothers with BPD.