Medina Nora Y, Edwards Renee C, Zhang Yudong, Hans Sydney L
School of Social Service Administration, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
J Reprod Infant Psychol. 2022 Apr;40(2):196-211. doi: 10.1080/02646838.2021.1886257. Epub 2021 Feb 15.
This study explores whether young, low-income mothers' prenatal attachment to their infants is related to attachment and parenting behaviour postnatally.
A small literature has documented continuity in maternal attachment from pregnancy to postpartum and shown that early maternal attachment is associated with positive parenting behaviour. Less is known about whether prenatal attachment has a unique impact on parenting behaviour, or if it is primarily a step in the development of postnatal attachment, which in turn influences parenting. Additionally, it is unclear whether associations between attachment and early parenting might be attributable to other factors such as depressive symptoms.
This longitudinal study followed young primiparous mothers from pregnancy through 3-weeks postnatal. 240 ethnically/racially diverse low-income American women reported their attachment-related thoughts and feelings and their depressive symptoms during pregnancy and postnatally. At 3 weeks postpartum, mothers were observed interacting with their infant.
There was stability in attachment and depressive symptoms from pregnancy to postpartum. In multivariate path models, prenatal attachment was directly associated with two types of parenting behaviour: positive engagement and encouragement of learning, even when accounting for depressive symptoms and postnatal attachment. There was an indirect effect of prenatal attachment on sensitivity through postnatal attachment.
The foundation of a mother's emotional connection to her infant begins before birth. Parenting support programmes for young mothers should begin during pregnancy. Supporting the establishment of positive prenatal attachment may also have a positive influence on later parenting behaviour among mothers, including mothers experiencing depressive symptoms.
本研究探讨低收入年轻母亲孕期对婴儿的依恋是否与产后的依恋及养育行为相关。
少量文献记载了母亲孕期至产后依恋的连续性，并表明早期母亲依恋与积极的养育行为相关。对于孕期依恋是否对养育行为有独特影响，或者它是否主要是产后依恋发展过程中的一个阶段，进而影响养育，人们了解较少。此外，依恋与早期养育之间的关联是否可能归因于其他因素，如抑郁症状，尚不清楚。
这项纵向研究跟踪了初产年轻母亲从孕期到产后3周的情况。240名来自不同种族/民族的低收入美国女性报告了她们在孕期和产后与依恋相关的想法和感受以及她们的抑郁症状。在产后3周，观察母亲与婴儿的互动情况。
从孕期到产后，依恋和抑郁症状具有稳定性。在多变量路径模型中，即使考虑到抑郁症状和产后依恋，孕期依恋也与两种养育行为直接相关：积极互动和鼓励学习。孕期依恋通过产后依恋对敏感性产生间接影响。
母亲与婴儿情感联结的基础在出生前就已奠定。针对年轻母亲的养育支持项目应在孕期开始。支持建立积极的孕期依恋也可能对母亲们日后的养育行为产生积极影响，包括有抑郁症状的母亲。
