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Joas J, Möhler E. Maternal Bonding in Early Infancy Predicts Childrens' Social Competences in Preschool Age. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:687535. [PMID: 34489753 PMCID: PMC8416914 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.687535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: There are many studies on mother-child-bonding with little theoretical doubt that better bonding may have a positive effect on further social development. However, there is hardly any empirical evidence. In particular, there is a lack prospective longitudinal studies. Methods: As part of a longitudinal study, bonding was assessed in a community sample of 97 healthy mothers using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) 6 weeks after birth of their child. Social competencies in the offspring were assessed using the Self- and Other-oriented Social Competencies (SOCOMP) at 5.5 years of age. A potential correlation between bonding and social competencies was tested using Spearman Rank Correlation. Results: Retention rate over 5.5 years was 77.23%. Lower Maternal Bonding Impairment Scores 6 weeks postnatally were positively related to childrens' social competences at 5.5 years of age. Conclusion: The present data confirm a positive and long-term influence of bonding on social skills and provide further evidence of the importance of parent child bonding for child development in general. This result should give reason to further investigate this relationship in depth, causally and at later points in time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva Möhler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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Klaey-Tassone M, Durand K, Damon F, Heyers K, Mezrai N, Patris B, Sagot P, Soussignan R, Schaal B. Human neonates prefer colostrum to mature milk: Evidence for an olfactory bias toward the "initial milk"? Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23521. [PMID: 33151021 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Colostrum is the initial milk secretion which ingestion by neonates warrants their adaptive start in life. Colostrum is accordingly expected to be attractive to newborns. The present study aims to assess whether colostrum is olfactorily attractive for 2-day-old newborns when presented against mature milk or a control. METHODS The head-orientation of waking newborns was videotaped in three experiments pairing the odors of: (a) colostrum (sampled on postpartum day 2, not from own mother) and mature milk (sampled on average on postpartum day 32, not from own mother) (n tested newborns = 15); (b) Colostrum and control (water; n = 9); and (c) Mature milk and control (n = 13). RESULTS When facing the odors of colostrum and mature milk, the infants turned their nose significantly longer toward former (32.8 vs 17.7% of a 120-s test). When exposed to colostrum against the control, they responded in favor of colostrum (32.9 vs 16.6%). Finally, when the odor of mature milk was presented against the control, their response appeared undifferentiated (26.7 vs 28.6%). CONCLUSIONS These results indicate that human newborns can olfactorily differentiate conspecific lacteal fluids sampled at different lactation stages. They prefer the odor of the mammary secretion - colostrum - collected at the lactation stage that best matches the postpartum age of their own mother. These results are discussed in the context of the earliest mother-infant chemo-communication. Coinciding maternal emission and offspring reception of chemosignals conveyed in colostrum may be part of the sensory precursors of attunement between mothers and infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Klaey-Tassone
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Fabrice Damon
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Katrin Heyers
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Nawel Mezrai
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Bruno Patris
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Paul Sagot
- Service de Gynécologie, Obstétrique et Biologie de la Reproduction, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire François Mitterrand, and Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Robert Soussignan
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Developmental Ethology & Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre for Smell, Taste and Feeding Behavior Science, UMR 6265 CNRS, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté-Inrae-AgroSupDijon, Dijon, France
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Henry S, Richard-Yris MA, Tordjman S, Hausberger M. Neonatal handling affects durably bonding and social development. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5216. [PMID: 19352503 PMCID: PMC2662428 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2007] [Accepted: 03/18/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The neonatal period in humans and in most mammals is characterized by intense mother-young interactions favoring pair bonding and the adaptation of neonates to their new environment. However, in many post-delivery procedures, human babies commonly experience combined maternal separation and intense handling for about one hour post-birth. Currently, the effects of such disturbances on later attachment and on the development of newborns are still debated: clearly, further investigations are required. As animals present good models for controlled experimentation, we chose domestic horses to investigate this issue. Horses, like humans, are characterized by single births, long lactating periods and selective mother-infant bonds. Routine postnatal procedures for foals, as for human babies, also involve intense handling and maternal separation. In the present study, we monitored the behavior of foals from early stages of development to "adolescence", in a normal ecological context (social groups with adults and peers). Experimental foals, separated from their mothers and handled for only 1 hour post-birth, were compared to control foals, left undisturbed after birth. Our results revealed short- and long-term effects of this unique neonatal experience on attachment and subsequent social competences. Thus, experimental foals presented patterns of insecure attachment to their mothers (strong dependence on their mothers, little play) and impaired social competences (social withdrawal, aggressiveness) at all ages. We discuss these results in terms of mother-young interactions, timing of interactions and relationships between bonding and subsequent social competences. Our results indicate that this ungulate species could become an interesting animal model. To our knowledge, this is the first clear demonstration that intervention just after birth affects bonding and subsequent social competences (at least until "adolescence"). It opens new research directions for studies on both humans and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séverine Henry
- UMR CNRS 6552 Ethos, Ethologie animale et humaine, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France.
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Abstract
Kangaroo mother care is becoming an integral part of the care of low birth weight infants worldwide. It provides economic savings to families and health care facilities and many physiologic and psychobehavioral benefits to mothers and infants, the most important of which is the promotion of successful breastfeeding. The benefits of breastfeeding, of human milk over formula, and of feeding from the breast per se, are beyond dispute, and so KMC should be actively promoted. The full impact of KMC on breastfeeding low birth weight infants is yet to be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- G F Kirsten
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Tygerberg Hospital and the University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg, South Africa.
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