Antenatal mental representations about the child and mother–infant interaction at three months post partum

Thun‐Hohenstein, Leonhard; Wienerroither, Christa; Schreuer, Mynda; Seim, Gunda; Wienerroither, Heinrich

doi:10.1007/s00787-007-0622-3

Cited by 27 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…There is evidence that more positive or balanced prenatal representations of one's own mother (Ward & Carlson, 1995), the child‐to‐be (Dayton, Levondosky, Davidson, & Bogat, 2010; Flykt et al, 2009; Pearce & Ayers, 2005; Thun‐Hohenstein, Wienerroither, Schreuer, Seim, & Wienerroither, 2008), the self‐as‐mother, and the child's father (Coleman, Nelson, & Sundre, 1999) are important predictors of a more positive mother–infant relationship. The previous studies have not included the representations of the self‐as‐woman, and it thus is not possible to judge whether it would be a less salient predictor of mother–infant interaction quality than would other representational dimensions.…”

Section: Role Of Maternal Representationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal representations and emotional availability among drug‐abusing and nonusing mothers and their infants

Flykt

Punamäki

Belt

et al. 2012

Infant Mental Health Journal

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Both negative and idealized maternal prenatal representations may constitute a risk for mother-infant interaction. This study analyzed the role of maternal prenatal representations and pre- to postnatal representational change in predicting mother-infant emotional availability (EA) among 51 drug-abusing mothers and their infants who participated in either psychodynamic group therapy (PGT) or received psychosocial support (PSS) and among 50 nonusing comparison dyads. Maternal representations of her child, the child's father, her own mother, self-as-mother, and self-as-woman were measured during pregnancy and at 4 and 12 months' postpartum with the Interview of Maternal Representations (M. Ammaniti et al., 1992; M. Ammaniti, R. Tambelli, & P. Perucchini, 1998). EA was measured with the Emotional Availability Scales, fourth edition (Z. Biringen, 2008) at 4 and 12 months. The results showed that drug-abusing mothers had more negative prenatal representations of the self-as-woman and of the child's father. Postnatally, PSS mothers tended to first idealize their child, but later to experience disillusionment of idealization. Both negative and idealized prenatal representations of the self-as-mother predicted mother-infant EA problems, but only among the PGT mothers. For all mothers, negative representational change was detrimental for the mother-infant EA whereas for drug-abusing mothers, also increasing idealization from the prenatal period to the postnatal period was harmful. Clinicians working with drug-abusing mothers should aim at supporting the development of a realistically positive view of motherhood.

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Section: Role Of Maternal Representationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal representations and emotional availability among drug‐abusing and nonusing mothers and their infants

Flykt

Punamäki

Belt

et al. 2012

Infant Mental Health Journal

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“…Women studies have shown that mother's mental representation of the infant as wells as mother-foetal attachment during pregnancy predicts postnatal maternal responses (Shin et al 2006;Siddiqui and Hagglof 2000;Thun-Hohenstein et al 2008). Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the impact of factors during pregnancy on responses to infant distress.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Symptoms of depression during pregnancy are associated with increased systolic blood pressure responses towards infant distress

Pearson

Lightman

Evans

2012

Arch Womens Ment Health

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A mother's response towards her infant's distress is important for the mother-infant relationship and infant development. There is evidence that maternal responses are impaired in depressed mothers. Further understanding of how depression disrupts maternal responses is important to direct treatment strategies. There is evidence that maternal responses develop during pregnancy. Further understanding of the relationship between depression and maternal responses during pregnancy is therefore important. We have previously found that depression during pregnancy is associated with reduced attentional engagement with infant distress but is unclear whether this is an insensitive or avoidance response. In the current study, we investigated the impact of anhedonic symptoms of depression on pregnant women's autonomic response towards infant distress. We found that women experiencing anhedonic depressive symptoms during pregnancy had significantly larger systolic blood pressure responses towards infant distress (β, 1.6 mmHg, 95 % CI 0.5 to 2.6, p = 0.004) than non-depressed pregnant women. These results suggest that anhedonic symptoms during pregnancy may be associated with increased sympathetic sensitivity. This suggests that depression is not, at a sympathetic level at least, associated with insensitivity to infant distress and rather depression may be associated with an abnormally sensitive response.

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“…Although the sensitivity construct is successfully put in practice in this assessment, it can obviously be improved or new measuring alternatives can be experimented to better detect qualitative differences in the appropriateness of maternal responses to infant behavior. Finally, other predictive variables that were not investigated in this study probably play a role in understanding sensitivity and could help to explain the variance in that factor, such as maternal personality (Prinzie et al, 2009), social support and the relation with the infant's father , as well as infant-related variables (Mills-Koonce et al, 2007;Thun-Hohenstein et al, 2008).…”

Section: Final Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…To give an example, Thun-Hohenstein, Wienerroither, Schreuer, Seim and Wienerroither (2008) assessed the affective bond between mother and fetus, using a questionnaire about maternal representations regarding the infant. In addition, in the third month of life, the interaction between mother and infant was recorded.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Predictors of Sensitivity in Mothers of 8-Month-Old Infants

Alvarenga

Dazzani

Lordelo

et al. 2013

Paidéia (Ribeirão Preto)

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This longitudinal study investigated the impact of maternal mental health, including postpartum depression, and of maternal-fetal attachment, on maternal sensitivity when babies were eight months old. The study included 38 mother-infant dyads. The women answered the SRQ-20 and the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale in the third trimester of pregnancy, and the BDI, for evaluation of postpartum depression in the first month following birth. Maternal sensitivity was examined through an observation of mother-child interaction when babies were eight months old. The multiple regression model considering the three factors explained 18.6% of the variance in sensitivity, and only maternal-fetal attachment was a significant predictor. The results indicate the importance of interventions to promote the bond of pregnant women with their babies, which may even minimize possible harmful effects of postpartum depression on mother-child interaction.

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Antenatal mental representations about the child and mother–infant interaction at three months post partum

Abstract: Antenatal maternal representations about the child predicted parental regulatory ability and infant interaction behavior especially during the still-face period.

Cited by 27 publications

References 29 publications

Maternal representations and emotional availability among drug‐abusing and nonusing mothers and their infants

Maternal representations and emotional availability among drug‐abusing and nonusing mothers and their infants

Symptoms of depression during pregnancy are associated with increased systolic blood pressure responses towards infant distress

Predictors of Sensitivity in Mothers of 8-Month-Old Infants

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