The Role of Antenatal and Postnatal Maternal Bonding in Infant Development

The affectional bond experienced by a mother toward her developing fetus/infant has been theorized to be a critical factor in determining infant developmental outcomes; yet there remains a paucity of research in this area, and a lack of high-quality longitudinal studies. This study aimed to examine the extent to which mother-to-infant bonding predicted infant development in a multi-wave longitudinal pregnancy cohort study (N = 1,347).

Self-reported bonding was assessed using the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale at each trimester, and the Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale at 8 weeks and 12 months postpartum. Infant development was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) at 12 months.

Bonding predicted indicators of infant social-affective development, including social-emotional, behavioral, and temperamental outcomes. Effect sizes ranged from small to moderate, increasing over the perinatal period (β = 0.11-0.27). Very small effects were also identified in the relationship between bonding and cognitive, language, and motor development (β = 0.06-0.08).

Findings suggest that a mother's perceived emotional connection with her child plays a role in predicting social-affective outcomes; prediction may not extend to other domains of infant development. Maternal bonding may therefore be a potentially modifiable predictor of infant social-affective outcomes, offering important considerations for preventive intervention.