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A scoping review of mother-child separation in clinical paediatric settings

Nina M Power1, Natasha North1, Angela L Leonard1

  • 1The Harry Crossley Children's Nursing Development Unit, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, 37716University of Cape Town, South Africa.

Journal of Child Health Care : for Professionals Working with Children in the Hospital and Community
|October 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Maternal separation during hospitalization significantly impacts infant autonomic regulation. The mother's presence is crucial for mitigating stress, yet more research is needed on physiological and psychological effects, especially in older children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Maternal-Child Health

Background:

  • Autonomic regulation in hospitalized infants is increasingly linked to maternal separation.
  • Understanding the impact of mother-child separation is critical for infant well-being during hospitalization.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review existing evidence on the effects of mother-child separation on hospitalized infants and children.
  • To identify validated measures for assessing the impact of maternal separation.

Main Methods:

  • A scoping review of seven databases was conducted.
  • Search terms included 'physiological', 'psychological', 'infant/child', 'maternal separation', and 'hospital'.
  • Thirty-four relevant articles were included in the analysis.

Main Results:

  • Maternal presence effectively mediates hospitalization stress in children.
  • Most studies focused on psychological effects on mothers of infants or younger children.
  • Limited research exists on physiological effects in older children or mothers, and psychological effects on mothers of older children.

Conclusions:

  • The mother's role is vital in mitigating hospitalization stress for children.
  • There is a significant need for more research using validated tools to assess the psychological effects on children, particularly older children.
  • Further investigation into the physiological effects of separation on the mother-child dyad during hospitalization is warranted.

Keywords:
Childhospitalinfantmother–childseparationstress physiologicalstress psychological

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