Violence Against Women, Mother-Infant Bond and Child Behaviour: An Exploratory Path Analysis at IVAPSA Cohort

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Violence against women has severe short- and long-term consequences for maternal and child health.
• Understanding the impact of violence on the mother-child relationship is critical.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relationship between violence experienced by women and the mother-child bond within six months postpartum.
• To assess the impact on child mental health at preschool age, mediated by stress, postpartum depression, breastfeeding, and infant sleep.

Main Methods:

• Path analysis model used to examine interrelations.
• Five mother-child pair assessment interviews conducted.
• Data collected from 295 mother-child pairs in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Main Results:

• 48.8% of women experienced violence, with 15.9% during pregnancy.
• Significant associations found between violence, maternal stress, postpartum depression, mother-child bond, and externalizing problems in preschoolers.
• Violence correlates with maternal stress, directly linked to postpartum depression, and indirectly to the mother-child bond.

Conclusions:

• Violence before and during pregnancy negatively affects maternal health and the mother-child bond.
• A weakened mother-child bond can explain externalizing behavioral problems in preschoolers.
• Early prevention and identification of violence against women can mitigate negative outcomes for mothers, children, and their future well-being.