A longitudinal investigation of young mothers’ prenatal attachment, depressive symptoms, and early parenting behaviour

ABSTRACT

Objectives

This study explores whether young, low-income mothers’ prenatal attachment to their infants is related to attachment and parenting behaviour postnatally.

Background

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.

Method

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.

Results

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.

Conclusion

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Adolescent mothers
• newborns
• prenatal depression
• postnatal depression

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) under Grant [D89MC23146] to the State of Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS). The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not represent the official views of HRSA or IDHS;U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration [D89MC23146].