Maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development: A prospective cohort study

Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Le Bas, Genevieve A.;Youssef, George J.;Macdonald, Jacqui A.;Mattick, Richard;Teague, Samantha J.;Honan, Ingrid;McIntosh, Jennifer E.;Khor, Sarah;Rossen, Larissa;Elliott, Elizabeth J.;Allsop, Steve;Burns, Lucinda;Olsson, Craig A.;Hutchinson, Delyse M.
Sam Teague
Abstract

Background: Theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence suggest that maternal bonding and negative affect play a role in supporting infant social-emotional development (Branjerdporn et al., 2017; Kingston et al., 2012; O'Donnell et al., 2014; Van den Bergh et al., 2017). However, the complex pathways likely to exist between these constructs remain unclear, with limited research examining the temporal and potentially bi-directional associations between maternal bonding and negative affect across pregnancy and infancy. Methods: The interrelationships between maternal bonding, negative affect, and infant social-emotional development were examined using multi-wave perinatal data from an Australian cohort study (N = 1,579). Self-reported bonding and negative affect were assessed at each trimester, and 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. The Bayley-III social-emotional scale was administered at age 12 months. Results: Results revealed strong continuities in bonding and negative affect across pregnancy and postpartum. Small associations (β = -.10 to -.20) existed between maternal negative affect during pregnancy and poor early bonding. Higher postnatal maternal bonding predicted infant social-emotional development (β = .17). Limitations: Limitations include a somewhat advantaged and predominantly Anglo-Saxon sample of families, and the use of self-report measures (though with strong psychometric properties). These limitations should be considered when interpreting the study findings. Conclusions: Maternal bonding and negative affect are interrelated yet unique constructs, with suggested developmental interplay between mother-to-infant bonding and infant social-affective development.

Journal

Journal of Affective Disorders

Publication Name

N/A

Volume

281

ISBN/ISSN

1573-2517

Edition

N/A

Issue

N/A

Pages Count

9

Location

N/A

Publisher

Elsevier

Publisher Url

N/A

Publisher Location

N/A

Publish Date

N/A

Url

N/A

Date

N/A

EISSN

N/A

DOI

10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.031