Mothering under the influence: how perinatal drugs of abuse alter the mother-infant interaction

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Although drug-abusing women try to moderate their drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, they often relapse at a time when childcare needs are high and maternal bonding is critical to an infant’s development. In the clinical setting, the search for the neural basis of drug-induced caregiving deficits is complex due to several intervening variables. Rather, the preclinical studies that control for drug dose and regimen, as well as for gestational and postpartum environment, allow a precise determination of the effects of drugs on maternal behaviour. Given the relevance of the issue, this review will gather reports on the phenotypic correlates of maternal behaviour in preclinical studies, and focus on the detrimental consequences on the mother-infant interaction exerted by the perinatal use of alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, cocaine and stimulants and opiates. The drug-induced disruptions of this maternal repertoire are associated with adverse maternal and infant outcomes. A comprehensive overview will help promote the refinement of the treatment approaches toward maternal drug use disorders and maternal misbehaviour, in favour of augmented parenting resiliency.</jats:p>

The endocannabinoid‐alcohol crosstalk: Recent advances on a bi‐faceted target

“…Alcohol produces its effects through actions on multiple brain circuits and involves neuroadaptive changes not only in adulthood but especially in critical periods of development …”

“…Alcohol produces its effects through actions on multiple brain circuits and involves neuroadaptive changes not only in adulthood but especially in critical periods of development. 22,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] The past 2 decades of clinical research and data derived from preclinical models of alcohol addiction point to the glutamatergic and the GABAergic systems as the main target of alcohol activity in the mesocorticolimbic system, [32][33][34][35][36][37][38] where alcohol intake results in increased dopamine (DA) release from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Notwithstanding, alcohol's mechanism of action at the molecular level is fairly unknown.…”

Association of Cleft Lip and Palate on Mother-to-Infant Bonding: a Cross-Sectional Study in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

“…Recently, in distinction to the attachment consisting of bidirectional interactions in mother-infant dyads for making children safe [15,16], maternal affectionate feelings toward the infant during the perinatal period, referred to as "mother-to-infant bonding" has been found to prevent poor infant development and child maltreatment [16][17][18]. Bonding disorders, less maternal affection and behaviour toward the infant have been acknowledged as predictors of impairment in infant development due to child maltreatment [16,[18][19][20]. Recently, the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), which is based on Kumar's Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire [17], has been used for quantitative screening of bonding disorders in mother-infant dyads among the general population [21].…”

Association of Cleft Lip and Palate on Mother-to-Infant Bonding: a Cross-Sectional Study in the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS).

“…In distinction to the infant's feelings of the attachment, maternal affectionate feelings toward the infant during the perinatal period has been referred to as "mother-toinfant bonding" [17][18][19]. Bonding disorders, less maternal affection and behaviour toward the infant, have been acknowledged as predictors of impairment in infant development due to child maltreatment [18][19][20][21]. Recently, the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), which is based on Kumar's Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire [17], has been used for quantitative screening of bonding disorders in mother-infant dyads among the general population [22].…”