Search Results (72)

Background/Objectives: This study examined the relationship between sensory processing skills, mother–infant bonding, and prematurity in 12-month-old infants. Methods: Twenty-two preterm infants with gestational age < 34 weeks and 20 term infants were included in the study. At four months, mothers evaluated their bonding with infants using the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS). At the age of 12 months, the sensory processing skills of infants were assessed using the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI). Results: MIBS scores were significantly higher in the preterm group compared to the term group (p < 0.01). TSFI total scores and subdomains (tactile deep pressure, adaptive motor function, and vestibular stimulation) were significantly lower in preterm infants (p = 0.01, p = 0.02, p = 0.01, and p = 0.03, respectively). Multiple linear regression revealed that each one-point increase in bonding score (weaker bonding) was associated with a −0.65 decrease in the TSFI total score, a −0.61 decrease in tactile deep pressure, and a −0.63 decrease in vestibular stimulation scores, independent of gestational age. Conclusions: This study concluded that mother-to-infant bonding is associated with sensory processing skills, especially in the vestibular and tactile domains. Additionally, prematurity was found to be related to sensory processing. Full article

Family dogs stand out with regard to their special (human-like) attachment behavior towards their owners. This dog–owner attachment bond, analogous to the human infant–mother relationship, has been extensively documented at the behavioral level. Capitalizing on the fully non-invasive polysomnography protocol, the current study compares family dogs’ sleep structure when sleeping in the company of their owners versus an experimenter (a friendly stranger human). Subjects (N = 9) participated in three recording sessions, each lasting 3 h. The first session served as an adaptation to the recording environment, while the second and third were the test sessions analyzed for the present paper. On these two occasions, dogs slept, in a counterbalanced order, once in the company of their owner, while on the other occasion they slept in the company of an experimenter, while the owner was outside the room. Polysomnography recordings were used to extract high-resolution information (in 20 s epochs) on the time dogs spend awake and in each of the sleep stages (drowsiness, non-REM, and REM). Our results show a robust difference between dogs’ sleep structure with and without the owner. In addition to an increased sleep latency and worsened sleep efficiency, dogs spent considerably less time in deep sleep (non-REM) when their owner was absent. These findings add to the increasing body of literature dealing with dog-to-owner attachment and provide unique physiological evidence for the phenomenon, complementing the widely reproduced behavioral data. Full article

Parents of premature infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are at elevated risk of anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma, which may impair bonding and infant development. This scoping review synthesized preventive and treatment interventions designed to reduce parental psychological distress in the United States. Guided by PRISMA-ScR, systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. Eligible studies were those that examined interventions for parents of preterm infants (<37 weeks’ gestation) initiated before, during, or within one year after NICU discharge. Excluded were studies limited to abstracts or qualitative designs; those not addressing parental depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or stress; and those involving congenital anomalies or conducted outside the United States. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria, including ten prevention-focused and seven treatment-focused studies. Eight reported significant reductions in distress, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and the Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment (COPE) program showing the strongest evidence. However, most interventions targeted mothers, highlighting underrepresentation of fathers. Overall, findings underscore the need for interventions that address both parents, include diverse populations, and evaluate participant engagement to improve clinical applicability. Full article

Breastfeeding is universally recognized for its extensive health benefits for both infants and mothers. However, for some women, the experience of breastfeeding can be complicated by intense negative emotional and physical reactions, including phenomena such as dysphoric milk ejection reflex and breastfeeding aversion/agitation. This review explores the neuroendocrine underpinnings of these conditions, emphasizing the interplay between oxytocin, prolactin, and dopamine. Oxytocin, traditionally viewed as a hormone promoting bonding and emotional regulation, can paradoxically provoke a stress response in vulnerable individuals. Prolactin, a key hormone for lactation and maternal behaviors, is implicated in stress resilience and mood regulation, but its dysregulation may contribute to depressive states. Dopamine, critical for reward processing and emotional stability, may underlie the acute emotional dysregulation seen in dysphoric milk ejection reflex. Together, disturbances in these neurohormonal systems may explain the aversive emotional experiences during breastfeeding. An improved understanding of these mechanisms offers critical insights into maternal mental health during lactation and underscores the importance of supportive clinical approaches for affected women. Full article

Objective: The development of a normal sleep–wake rhythm in the first weeks of life depends on the physiological sensory needs of the newborn as well as the environment surrounding them. This includes, for example, avoiding pain, exposure to bright light at night and high noise levels. In high-risk newborns, this process can be influenced by immaturity of the central and peripheral nervous systems, therapeutic strategies and the work organization of an intensive care unit. Methods: This study used a narrative review to examine the literature on the interrelationship of sensory modalities on sleep–wake behavior in the context of neonatal intensive care. The current Cochrane reviews on cycled lighting’s effect on premature infants’ circadian rhythm development and noise or sound management in the neonatal intensive care unit, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) global position paper on kangaroo mother care, were included. Results: An extensive body of literature relates to fetal and neonatal development of the five sensory modalities: touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight. In contrast, there is a lack of evidence regarding the choice of optimal lighting and suitable measures for noise reduction. Since 2023, the WHO has recommended that, from the moment of birth, every “small and sick” newborn should remain in skin-to-skin contact (SSC) with their mother. Developmental support pursues a multimodal approach with the goal of fostering early parent–child bonding, including the child’s needs and environmental conditions. Discussion: The implementation of early SSC and attention to the sleep–wake cycle require systemic changes in both the obstetric and neonatal settings to ensure seamless perinatal management and subsequent neonatal intensive care. Since there is a lack of evidence on the optimal sensory environment, well-designed, well-conducted and fully reported randomized controlled trials are needed that analyze short-term effects and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes. Full article

Background: In Japan, new challenges are emerging, such as declining birth rates, an increase in age at childbirth, postpartum depression, and child abuse. Methods: This study examines the factors influencing maternal consultation behavior at public institutions using some of the data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS). A total of 6227 women (1380 pregnant and 4847 postpartum) were analyzed through logistic regression. Results: The results showed different factors influencing consultations between pregnant women and postpartum women. Among pregnant women, different trends were observed between primigravidae and multigravidae, indicating that primigravidae aged ≥40 years and multigravidae with multiple childbirths tend to seek consultations more frequently. In postpartum women, psychological distress (K6), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and social support networks significantly influenced consultation behavior. Postpartum women with extensive support networks (≥3 confidants) exhibited higher consultation rates. In contrast, those with elevated Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS-J) scores were less likely to seek help, potentially due to mental health stigma. Conclusions: This study showed that pregnant and postpartum women facing physical, mental, family, or relationship issues are seeking consultations and receiving thorough support. On the other hand, since some pregnant and postpartum women refrained from seeking consultation, it is necessary to further consider support measures that make it easier for all pregnant and postpartum women to seek advice in the future. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mothers of infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) experience significant stress, which can have lasting effects on mental health and parent–infant bonding. This mixed-methods study aimed to explore maternal stress response, coping, and resilience by examining physiological stress markers and maternal narratives. Methods: A total of 28 mothers who had an infant hospitalized in the NICU within the past three years participated in a two-hour laboratory session, which included stress induction using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Salivary cortisol (sCort) and heart rate variability (HRV) were measured to assess physiological responses. Results: Qualitative analysis of maternal narratives identified two distinct response patterns: an anger/trauma (AT) group (n = 7) and a gratitude/optimism (GO) group (n = 6), with the remaining 15 mothers classified as a mixed (M) group. GO mothers exhibited significantly higher cortisol reactivity during recovery compared to AT mothers (p < 0.01). While GO mothers had higher baseline HF-HRV, no significant between-group differences were found in HRV responses. Conclusions: Findings suggest that maternal perception of NICU experiences is associated with distinct physiological stress response patterns, highlighting the importance of stress appraisal and coping in maternal well-being. Full article

Background/Objectives: It is established that both birth and infant feeding experiences can impact maternal mental health, but little is known about how the two might interact. Potentially, a positive breastfeeding experience might help to mitigate feelings associated with birth trauma, but conversely, a difficult feeding experience might further compound birth trauma. The aim of this study was therefore to explore how mothers’ experiences of breastfeeding following birth trauma might impact their mental health. Methods: To explore this, mothers were invited to complete an online survey about their experiences of birth and breastfeeding and how they felt these affected their wellbeing. There were 501 responses, with 159 (32%) describing their birth experience as traumatic and therefore included in this analysis. A thematic analysis approach was used to explore themes around breastfeeding experiences and the impact on wellbeing. Results: Mothers who described positive breastfeeding experiences felt that breastfeeding helped them to bond with their baby post birth trauma and that this protected their mental health. Conversely, mothers who had a difficult experience described how pain, exhaustion, and low milk supply further negatively impacted their wellbeing. Conclusions: The findings show the importance of enhanced support for breastfeeding mothers who have experienced birth trauma, as feeding experiences can potentially help heal or compound challenging memories, thoughts, and emotions around birth. Full article

Background: In the general population, a relationship between maternal mental health and maternal attachment has been identified, but it has not been studied in depth in vulnerable populations like refugee women. This review aims to analyze the relationship between maternal attachment and mental health in postpartum refugee women and to propose a conceptual framework for understanding these interactions. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, using search terms such as “attachment”, “bonding”, “mental health”, “post-traumatic stress”, “depression”, “anxiety”, and “refugee women”. The search was conducted between September and October 2023 in Scopus, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, and their results were systematically synthesized to identify patterns and limitations. Results: Of the 455 studies identified, only 9 met the inclusion criteria. The analysis reveals a complex relationship between maternal mental health and maternal attachment. Although four studies (n = 4) found no significant relationships between maternal mental health and attachment styles, others identified negative correlations between secure attachment and symptoms of post-traumatic stress (n = 2) or depression (n = 2), highlighting the influence of maternal psychological well-being on the bond with the infant. Conclusions: The findings suggest that post-traumatic symptoms play a key role in shaping the relationship between maternal attachment and mental health. Consequently, psychosocial interventions focusing on maternal attachment could help prevent difficulties in mother–infant interactions and improve gestational health, thus supporting the development of the maternal role in refugee populations. Full article

Breastfeeding is the best way to provide newborns with crucial nutrients and produce a unique bond between mother and child. Breast milk is rich in nutritious and non-nutritive bioactive components, such as immune cells, cytokines, chemokines, immunoglobulins, hormones, fatty acids, and other constituents. Maternal effects during gestation and lactation can alter these components, influencing offspring outcomes. Chronic inflammatory maternal conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension, impact breast milk composition. Breast milk from obese mothers exhibits changes in fat content, cytokine levels, and hormonal concentrations, potentially affecting infant growth and health. Similarly, diabetes alters the composition of breast milk, impacting immune factors and metabolic markers. Other pro-inflammatory conditions, such as dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome, have been barely studied. Thus, maternal obesity, diabetes, and altered tension parameters have been described as modifying the composition of breast milk in its macronutrients and other important biomolecules, likely affecting the offspring’s weight. This review emphasizes the impact of chronic inflammatory conditions on breast milk composition and its potential implications for offspring development through the revision of full-access original articles. Full article

Background/Objectives: The experience of parenting in a highly medicalized, unnatural environment can result in impaired mother–infant bonding, but increased maternal presence at the infant’s bedside has been associated with improved infant and maternal outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators during the NICU Experience in regard to maternal presence in an NICU. Methods: We interviewed 12 mothers (7 Black, 5 white) of low socioeconomic status (SES) whose preterm infants (average birth gestational age of 27 weeks) were currently hospitalized in an NICU. We engaged the NICU Family Advisory Board in all steps of the research process. Results: Barriers and facilitators to maternal presence spanned all levels of the Socioecological Model; however, barriers were mostly at the societal, community, and institutional levels, while facilitators varied based on interpersonal and individual-level factors. Assets that mothers accessed to facilitate visits, such as free housing and shuttle services, were not available to all mothers based on individual circumstances (e.g., caregiving responsibilities). While a few mothers identified negative interactions with health care practitioners, these encounters were not attributed to racism or described as barriers to visitation. Conclusions: Hospitals can support families with infants in an NICU by providing free or inexpensive short-term sibling support, alleviating the burden of parking costs, and communicating early and frequently about available institutional resources during the hospital stay. Full article

Background: Breastfeeding provides vital nutrients and fosters maternal–infant bonding, benefiting both mother and child. However, breastfeeding duration is influenced by various factors, especially in women of high-risk pregnancy. This study aims to identify predictors of breastfeeding duration among women of high-risk and low-risk pregnancy, focusing on exclusive and mixed feeding practices. Methods: Conducted at a public hospital in Attica, Greece, this 20-month prospective cohort study (May 2020–January 2022) included 380 pregnant women, divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. The final sample of 157 women, after excluding non-breastfeeding participants, was assessed across five phases from prenatal to six months postpartum using interviews, calls, and surveys. Multiple linear regression identified key predictors, with statistical methods applied. Results: Results revealed birth weight as a consistent significant predictor of breastfeeding duration. For women with high-risk pregnancy, additional factors like infant gender, jaundice, and early introduction of solid foods influenced breastfeeding duration. The mixed breastfeeding model for women with high-risk pregnancy explained 72.9% of the variance. Exclusive and mixed breastfeeding models for women with low-risk pregnancy also highlighted birth weight’s influence. Conclusion: The findings highlight the important role of birth weight and other specific factors in determining breastfeeding duration among women of high-risk and low-risk pregnancy. Further research is needed to validate these findings across diverse populations. Full article

A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) hospitalization can add significant stress to the postpartum period. Parents experience isolation and uncertainty, which can affect their capacity to bond with their new baby. Understanding how stress is shaped by and changes following a NICU experience will help in developing supports for these families. We examined patterns of parenting stress over the first year of life following a NICU stay to better understand changes in stress, differences in maternal and paternal stress, and how medical and developmental variables impact parent stress. Parents of infants (n = 51) who had experienced a NICU hospitalization and met criteria for California’s High-Risk Infant Follow-Up program completed assessments at 6, 9, and 12 months. A comparison group (n = 38) from a historic dataset included parents of infants born full term without medical complications. NICU parents reported higher levels of parenting stress at 6 months, but not 12 months, with mothers and fathers reporting similar stress levels. Parenting-related stress was found to be relatively stable and consistent over this period. Among NICU parents, lower developmental level at 12 months was associated with more distress in interacting with their child. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring parenting stress following discharge from the NICU and developing interventions for supporting parents of NICU graduates showing developmental delays. Full article

The role of anxiety is unknown in relation to postpartum bonding, unlike the well-known detrimental effect that postpartum depression has on the relationship between a mother and child. This study investigates how anxiety affects mother–infant bonding after childbirth, comparing the Italian version of the Postpartum Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS-IT) with generalized measures of anxiety. Examining 324 non-randomly-selected participants responding to various scales, including the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), postpartum-specific anxiety scale (PSAS-IT), postpartum bonding questionnaire (PBQ), and baby care questionnaire (BCQ-2), initial results suggest a link between certain postpartum anxiety symptoms and attachment problems. Surprisingly, anxiety measured with the PSAS has no direct influence on attachment; however, it is a strong predictor of bonding, even when maternal age, general anxiety, and depression are taken into account, explaining 3% of the variance in scores (β = 0.26, p < 0.001). This emphasizes the importance of early identification and intervention of postpartum anxiety in promoting bonding between mother and child. Full article

Background: Breastfeeding is a process for not only nourishing infants but also for building a unique emotional bond between mother and child. Therefore, the ideal contraception during lactation should not affect lactation (milk composition, milk volume) and offspring development. Objectives: This study aims to analyze the literature on the safety of progestogen hormonal contraceptive methods during lactation. Methods: We conducted a thorough search across various databases, including the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), and the Cochrane Database, Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Our search utilized specific phrases such as: “lactation” and “breastfeeding” and “oral contraception” with “drospirenone” or “desogestrel”, with “subcutaneous etonogestrel implant” or “etonogestrel implant”, with “levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system”, and “emergency contraception”, with “levonorgestrel” or “ulipristal acetate”. Conclusions: Based on published scientific reports, progestogen hormonal contraceptives can be considered a relatively safe solution for women desiring to continue feeding their infant with their milk while using hormonal contraception. It is important to seek guidance on selecting the best contraception method based on the latest medical knowledge, tailored to the individual needs and clinical circumstances of each woman and place of residence. A woman should always be informed of the potential risks of such a treatment and then allowed to make her own decision based on the knowledge received from a specialist. Full article