Prenatal Predictors of Postnatal Quality of Caregiving Behavior in Mothers and Fathers

Abstract

Objective. The quality of parental caregiving has been shown to affect children's development from birth onward. Therefore, it is important to detect parents at risk for low-quality caregiving as early as possiblepreferably before birth. Design. Observations of expectant mothers' and fathers' behavior when exposed to infant crying were examined as predictors of the quality of caregiving toward their own infant 6 weeks postpartum. Eighty-eight expectant mothers and 57 of their male partners were tested during the third trimester of pregnancy. Parents were filmed individually while caring for a crying Simulator Infant for 15 min; the quality of their caregiving was rated on sensitivity and cooperation. Also, cognitive interference on a working memory task and the ability to regulate physical force when exposed to infant crying were assessed. When their baby was 6 weeks old, parents were filmed and rated for sensitivity and cooperation during a 15-min interaction with their own infant at home. Results. Prenatal quality of caregiving behavior toward a simulator infant predicted postnatal quality of caregiving toward the own infant in both mothers and fathers. Cognitive interference and the ability to regulate physical force did not predict postnatal quality of caregiving behavior. Conclusions. Expectant parents' quality of caregiving behavior toward a crying simulator infant predicted both mothers' and fathers' postnatal quality of caregiving behavior. Future research is needed to determine whether the simulator infant may be a useful screening instrument and training tool for parenting skills in at risk groups of parents-to-be.

Effectiveness of a psycho-educational intervention for expecting parents to prevent postpartum parenting stress, depression and anxiety: a randomized controlled trial

“…The booklet and video were received during pregnancy, after the baseline assessment (T0). Given that parenting stress and the quality of parenting can affect child development from birth onwards [ 68 , 69 ], we aimed to intervene already during pregnancy. Therefore, the main part of the intervention (booklet, video, home visit) was implemented before birth.…”

Development and feasibility of the prenatal video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting for expectant fathers

“…Additionally, parenting sensitivity originates in the prenatal period (Leifer, 1977;Lucassen et al, 2015;Steele et al, 1996) and early postnatal parenting quality is likely founded on prenatal mental representations of the unborn child as well as the caregiver's imagined (future) relationship with the child (Siddiqui & Hägglöf, 2000;Vreeswijk et al, 2014). Importantly, prenatal paternal sensitivity, measured during the third trimester using a life-like infant simulator, has been found to predict postnatal paternal sensitivity 6 weeks after birth (Hechler et al, 2019). Despite these findings, few parenting programs focus on fathers, the perinatal period, or both.…”

Studying Quality of Caregiving Behavior: The Roles of Infant, Mother, Father, and Culture

“…Nonetheless, they are concerned that because males have less experience playing with dolls, the simulation may be unnatural to them, and so less predictive of paternal behaviors. However, our manipulation check showed that fathers found the interaction as difficult and cared for the simulator infant as seriously as mothers (Hechler et al, 2019). Moreover, prenatal caregiving behavior predicted postpartum caregiving behavior in both mothers and fathers.…”

“…In this study, we sought to identify prenatal predictors of the quality of postnatal maternal and paternal caregiving (Hechler, Beijers, Riksen-Walraven, & de Weerth, 2019). In a low-risk, healthy population, observed prenatal quality of caregiving behavior toward an unsoothably crying simulator infant positively predicted postpartum quality of caregiving toward the own infant in both mothers and fathers.…”