Chapter IV. Maternal Frightened, Frightening, or Atypical Behavior and Disorganized Infant Attachment Patterns

Lyons‐Ruth, Karlen; Bronfman, Elisa; Parsons, Elizabeth

doi:10.1111/1540-5834.00034

Cited by 469 publications

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“…Dissociation usually involves sudden onset of freezing and losing track of time, which can interfere significantly with mother-child communication and results in poor responsivity and inconsistent parenting. Recent research has suggested that dissociation during parent-child communication is strongly related to attachment insecurity [39,40]. Non significant associations between depressive and traumatic symptoms on child attachment problems may be attributed to consistent parenting despite these symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of maternal childhood abuse history on child’s attachment problems

Mizuki¹,

Fujiwara²,

Okuyama³

2015

Paediatr Health

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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the independent impact of maternal childhood abuse history (MCAH), after controlling for maternal past, current parenting, and paternal past parenting, and maternal mental health (MMH) on the attachment problems of children living in mother-child homes in Japan. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among mothers (N=306) staying in 83 mother-child homes in Japan to assess mothers' and fathers' maltreatment toward their children before moving into the homes, mothers' current maltreatment, MMH and MCAH in relation to their children's (N=310) attachment problems. Results: MCAHs were significantly and independently associated with children's attachment problems after controlling for maternal past, current maltreatment, and paternal past maltreatment. Among covariates, MMH, especially dissociation, was independently significantly associated with children's attachment problems. Conclusions:The finding that MCAH has a significant impact on children's attachment problems, independent of parental maltreatment, suggests inter-generational continuity of child maltreatment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of maternal childhood abuse history on child’s attachment problems

Mizuki¹,

Fujiwara²,

Okuyama³

2015

Paediatr Health

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“…Secure infants also have improved emotional regulation, express more positive emotion and exhibit appropriate persistence and flexibility in response to stress. Infant disorganized attachment has been associated with the highest risk of developing later psychopathology [88], including dissociative disorders [89], aggressive behavior [90], conduct disorder and self-abuse [15]. Thus, aspects of the mother-infant interaction which have been demonstrated to be transmitted intergenerationally in humans and primates have profound effects on infant development and thus can mediate the inheritance by offspring of increased risk or resilience to physical or emotional disorder.…”

Section: Implications Of the Transgenerational Effects Maternal Carementioning

confidence: 99%

Epigenetic mechanisms and the transgenerational effects of maternal care

Champagne

2008

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

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The transmission of traits across generations has typically been attributed to the inheritance by offspring of genomic information from parental generations. However, recent evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are capable of mediating this type of transmission. In the case of maternal care, there is evidence for the behavioral transmission of postpartum behavior from mothers to female offspring. The neuroendocrine and molecular mediators of this transmission have been explored in rats and implicate estrogen-oxytocin interactions and the differential methylation of hypothalamic estrogen receptors. These maternal effects can influence multiple aspects of neurobiology and behavior of offspring and this particular mode of inheritance is dynamic in response to environmental variation. In this review, evidence for the generational transmission of maternal care and the mechanisms underlying this transmission will be discussed as will the implications of this inheritance system for offspring development and for the transmission of environmental information from parents to offspring. Keywords maternal; epigenetic; DNA methylation; estrogen receptor α; oxytocin; environment; cross-fostering Maternal effects have been demonstrated across many species and serve as an important cue to offspring development. In mammals, the lengthy period of prenatal and postnatal motherinfant interaction provides an opportunity for mothers to influence offspring through a variety of mechanisms. During gestation, interactions between mother and fetus are critical for growth and development and variations in these interactions can have long-term consequences for offspring physiological and psychological health. These effects have best been demonstrated through study of prenatal stress [1] and maternal malnutrition [2;3] in which changes to the mother's neuroendocrine system and physiology produces a shift in fetal neurodevelopment. Likewise, the care received by an infant early in life can produce changes in the development of neural systems regulating response to novelty and social behavior [4]. Thus, the maternal environment experienced by a developing organism can play a critical role in shaping adult patterns of behavior. Moreover, there can be transmission of these effects to subsequent generations through alterations in the reproductive behavior of offspring. Thus maternal care can be transmitted from mothers to daughters and grand-daughters. The mechanisms mediating Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr. Frances A. Champagne, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, Room 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10017, Phone: (212) 854-2589, Fax: (212) 854-3609, Email: E-mail: fac2105@columbia.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is ...

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“…Main and Hesse (1990) originally proposed a frightened/frightening hypothesis, suggesting that disorganization is the product of the attachment figure frightening the infant, for example, by becoming frightened him or herself, leaving the infant without a resolution for the attachment distress. More recently, LyonsRuth and her colleagues (Lyons-Ruth, Bronfman, & Parsons, 1999) noted that what individuals find especially frightening is simultaneous elicitation and rejection of attachment needs, and extreme unresponsiveness. They also argue the merits of the stress-diathesis model (Lyons-Ruth, Bronfman, & Atwood, 1999), which says that attachment trauma is mediated by (a) the characteristic of the threat, (b) the diathesis (existing vulnerability) to stress, and (c) the caring comfort available in close relationships.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Unresolved Attachment Among Immigrants: An Analysis Using the Adult Attachment Projective

Ecke

2007

The Journal of Genetic Psychology

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Chapter IV. Maternal Frightened, Frightening, or Atypical Behavior and Disorganized Infant Attachment Patterns

Cited by 469 publications

References 0 publications

Impact of maternal childhood abuse history on child’s attachment problems

Impact of maternal childhood abuse history on child’s attachment problems

Epigenetic mechanisms and the transgenerational effects of maternal care

Unresolved Attachment Among Immigrants: An Analysis Using the Adult Attachment Projective

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