A longitudinal investigation of young mothers' prenatal attachment, depressive symptoms, and early parenting behaviour

The Effects of Baby Calming Training Provided to Primiparous Mothers on Maternal Role Perception, Maternal Attachment, and Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Mothers of crying babies have difficulty adapting to their roles and problems with breastfeeding and attachment. Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of the baby calming training provided to primiparous mothers on maternal role perception, maternal attachment, and breastfeeding self-efficacy. Methods: The study was conducted in a randomized controlled experimental design between March 2023 and March 2024 in the gynecology and obstetrics services of a public hospital in northeastern Turkey (Clinical Trial Number: NCT05594836). The research was conducted with a total of 84 primiparous mothers, including 41 intervention and 43 control groups, who met the inclusion criteria. The Baby Calming Training was administered face-to-face in the intervention group, utilizing a baby swaddling blanket, a sleep companion emitting white noise, and a training booklet. The control group received routine care. Data were collected through the Mother and Baby Introductory Information Form, Semantic Difference Scale-Me as a Mother, Maternal Attachment Inventory, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form, and Infant Sleep Activity Record. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Wilcoxon test, mixed design ANOVA analysis, Cohen's d, and 95% confidence interval (CI). This study adhered to CONSORT research guidelines. Results: Mothers in the intervention group exhibited higher mean scores on the perception of maternal role (mean ± SD: 70.37 ± 5.92, t: 8.590, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.347-2.375], d: 1.865, p < 0.001), maternal attachment (mean ± SD: 100.42 ± 1.52, U: 151.500, 95% CI: [0.732-0.892], d: 0.828, p < 0.001), and breastfeeding self-efficacy (mean ± SD: 64.00 ± 5.98, t: 8.109, 95% CI: [1.248-2.258], d: 1.757, p < 0.001) than the control group. It was determined that the total sleep time of the babies in the intervention group was higher, and the total crying duration was lower (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The study revealed that infant soothing training for primiparous mothers enhanced maternal role perception, maternal attachment, breastfeeding self-efficacy, and extended infants' sleep duration. Furthermore, infants exhibited reduced crying.

Explaining maternal antenatal attachment by psychological, clinical and sociodemographic factors: a path analysis study

BACKGROUND

Antenatal attachment is a fundamental concept relative to human transition to parenthood and may be influenced by several factors. The aim of this study is to find the best model to explain maternal antenatal attachment based on the interaction among sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables.

METHODS

Pregnant women (N = 407) were interviewed during the second trimester of pregnancy while waiting for medical consultations. A sociodemographic, obstetric, and psychometric protocol was used.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

path analysis.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES

psychopathological symptomatology, depression, anxiety, stress, occupational stress, attitudes about pregnancy and motherhood, coping styles, marital satisfaction, sociodemographic, and clinical variables.

DEPENDENT VARIABLES

maternal antenatal attachment in its several dimensions; quality of attachment (QA), intensity of preoccupation (IP), and global attachment (GA).

RESULTS

Depression, anxiety, attitudes, and marital satisfaction explained 37% of maternal antenatal QA. Age, depression, anxiety, attitudes, and marital satisfaction explained 26% of maternal antenatal IP. Age, depression, anxiety, attitudes, and marital satisfaction explained 34% of the statistical variance of maternal antenatal GA.

CONCLUSIONS

Factors like emotional states (depression and anxiety), attitudes towards pregnancy and motherhood, marital satisfaction, and a sociodemographic variable (age) contribute significantly for the explanation of maternal antenatal attachment.

Trait mindfulness during pregnancy and maternal-infant bonding: Longitudinal associations with infant temperament and social-emotional development

Maternal love and caregiving are pillars for optimal child development and may affect infant outcomes from pregnancy onwards. The present study aimed to examine whether maternal trait mindfulness during pregnancy and pre- and postnatal maternal-infant bonding were associated with maternal perceptions of infant temperament and social-emotional development. In total, 408 Dutch women (Mage = 31.33, SD = 3.59) participated in a prospective perinatal cohort study and completed questionnaires on trait mindfulness, prenatal bonding, postnatal bonding, infant temperament, and infant social-emotional development at 20 and 28 weeks of gestation, and 10 weeks, 6 and 12 months postpartum, respectively. Path analyses demonstrated that higher levels of the trait mindfulness facet non-judging (i.e., refraining from judgments about own feelings and thoughts) were associated with more pre- and postnatal maternal bonding and fewer social-emotional problems as perceived by the mother. Adopting an accepting and non-judgmental attitude may promote positive feelings of bonding and benefit the infant in terms of having fewer social-emotional problems in the first year of life. Mindfulness interventions may be offered to pregnant women in order to enhance maternal bonding and improve infant outcomes after birth.

Movement through motherhood: Exploring mood, wellbeing, and prenatal emotional availability (EA) through EA-based dance intervention

Emotional availability (EA) is a construct that describes the observed emotional connection in parent-child relationships. During pregnancy, EA is assessed only using caregiver sensitivity and nonhostility. We used the nonverbal aspects of these qualities to create a new dance/movement intervention ("EA-Based Dance Intervention"). Given the scarcity of pregnancy interventions, we provided training to participants on how to be emotionally engaged with their unborn babies through dance/movement. The EA-Based Dance Intervention alone comprised the first intervention arm (n = 12). A second intervention arm involved the combination of EA-Based Dance Intervention with brief psychoeducation (n = 10). The third arm was a control group, which received only the assessments (n = 7). Measures of self-reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, emotional expressivity, flourishing, and the (newly developed) self-reported prenatal EA were used at pre- and posttest. The measure of observed prenatal EA was used to compare intervention versus control at posttest only. In this pilot study, we found that participants receiving the EA-Based Dance Intervention alone or combined with psychoeducation, self-reported improved anxiety symptoms and self-reported higher prenatal EA. When compared with the control group, those experiencing EA-Based Dance Intervention reported fewer depressive symptoms from pre- to posttest.

Maternal-fetal attachment, parenting stress during infancy, and child outcomes at age 3 years

Maternal-fetal attachment (MFA), a woman's relationship with and affiliative behaviors toward her unborn child, has been linked to near-term infant physical and developmental outcomes. However, further longitudinal research is needed to understand whether the impact of MFA extends past the earliest years of life. The current study explored relationships between MFA and child socioemotional competence and behavior problems at age 3 and whether parenting stress mediated the association between MFA and child outcomes. Data were collected from 221 primarily Black/African-American mothers who completed a scale of MFA during pregnancy. Mothers reported on parenting stress at infant age 7 months and reported on child socioemotional competence and problem behaviors at child age 3 years. In path analyses, MFA was directly associated with child socioemotional competence at age 3 years, but an indirect association between MFA and socioemotional competence via parenting stress was not significant. We also observed a significant indirect association between lower MFA and child internalizing behavior problems via parenting stress that was related to maternal dissatisfaction regarding interactions with her child. Findings suggest that assessing MFA may serve as a means to identify dyads who would benefit from support to promote individual health outcomes.