Are maternal and paternal bonding problems associated with child sleep problems at 8 and 24 months?

Both parental bonding and infant's sleep are important for healthy child psychosocial development. This study investigates how maternal and paternal bonding with their infant is associated with child sleep problems at the ages of 8 and 24 months. The data is based on a representative birth cohort. The independent variables assessed were maternal (N = 1299) and paternal (N = 1211) bonding at 8 months, using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ). Infant sleep problems were measured using the Infant Sleep Questionnaire (ISQ) at 8 months (N = 1301) and at 24 months of age (N = 950). Numerous covariates, measured either prenatally or postnatally at the 3, 8, or 24-month time points, were included in the analyses. Using linear regression analyses, we found that maternal bonding problems at 8 months were associated with child sleep problems at the age of 8 and 24 months. Furthermore, maternal bonding problems at 8 months mediated the effects of maternal depression at both timepoints. In contrast, paternal postnatal bonding problems at 8 months were not associated with infant sleep problems at either time point. Our findings highlight the role of the primary caregiver in infant sleep problems. Accordingly, it is vital to screen for and provide early support for both infant sleep problems and parent-infant relationship difficulties, as these two are highly interconnected and one may pose reciprocal risks.