The Early Mother-to-Child Bond and Its Unique Prospective Contribution to Child Behavior Evaluated by Mothers and Teachers

Abstract

Maternal bonding has been described as the quality of the affective tie from a mother to her infant. This early bond's mental components and its longitudinal impact on child outcome have been markedly understudied. Although most researchers assume impaired maternal bonding to have a negative impact on child development, there is a lack of prospective studies evaluating this hypothesis. Since maternal mental health problems may negatively affect both bonding quality and child development, it is still to be determined whether there is a unique contribution of bonding quality to child behavior problems over and above maternal psychopathology. We examined a community sample of 101 mother-child dyads at the child's age of 2 weeks (t1) and 6 weeks (t2), 4 months (t3), 14 months (t4), and 5.5 years (t5). Maternal bonding and psychopathology were assessed at time points t1-t4 using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ-16) and the Symptom Checklist Revised (SCL 90-R). Child behavior problems were rated in a multi-informant design by mothers and teachers at t5 using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). In the case of maternal judgment of child behavior problems, bonding at 14 months (t4) proved to be a significant predictor (β = 0.30; p = 0.011). Teacher-rated child behavior problems were significantly predicted by maternal bonding at 2 weeks (t1; β = 0.48; p = 0.025). Our results indicate a prospective influence of the early mother-infant bond on child development and underline the unique contribution of bonding quality to child behavior problems over and above the impact of maternal psychopathology in a community sample.

Fear of childbirth during pregnancy: associations with observed mother-infant interactions and perceived bonding

“…Future studies could investigate whether a traumatic birth in which fears were realised mediates the relationship between FOC and postnatal bonding and whether problems persist. Perceived difficulties in bonding measured by the PBQ have been associated with parental stress and negative child outcomes (de Cock et al 2017;Fuchs et al 2016). Perceived bonding is therefore of likely clinical importance, and the PBQ could be a useful way to identify dyads at risk of future issues.…”

Epigenetic correlates of neonatal contact in humans

“…Deficits in forming close and secure social bonds is a common feature of psychopathology, and may be a precursor to problem behavior. For instance, social competence at age 4 predicts subsequent internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Bornstein, Hahn, & Haynes, 2010) and the quality of mother-infant bonds at 2 weeks predicts child behavior problems at age 5 (Fuchs, Möhler, Reck, Resch, & Kaess, 2016). Likewise, the establishment of close relationships due to enriched early experiences of contact may enhance resilience, as social support has been shown to buffer the effects of stress (Hostinar, Sullivan, & Gunnar, 2014).…”

Mother-to-Infant Bonding in Women with Postpartum Psychosis and Severe Postpartum Depression: A Clinical Cohort Study

“…The development of bonding is important, as impaired bonding can impact the child's emotional, cognitive, and behavioral long-term development. For example, studies have shown associations between impaired mother-to-infant bonding and child behavior problems in early childhood [5], and an increased child's risk of developing psychopathology in adulthood [6]. Moreover, mothers who reported impaired mother-to-infant bonding experienced high levels of parenting stress during toddlerhood [7], and these children are at risk for maltreatment later in life [8].…”