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Updated: Sep 10, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
Early maternal emotional availability and self-objectification during breastfeeding in maltreated mothers: a pilot
1The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Aim:
This pilot study investigates whether self-objectification, a marker of dehumanisation, mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment (CM) and the emotional experience of breastfeeding in postpartum women.
Background:
Research has emphasised breastfeedings's physical benefits, duration, and maternal intent, with limited attension to how maternal CM affects well-being during breastfeeding and mother-infant interaction.
Design:
Fifty women, up to six months postpartum, completed standardised self‑report questionnaires and participated in video‑recorded breastfeeding observations coded for Emotional Availability (EA) by trained, certified raters.
Results:
Structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis showed that self-objectification was significantly associated with both lower observed maternal emotional availability and more negative feelings towards breastfeeding. An indirect statistical association through self-objectification was supported for negative feelings towards breastfeeding, whereas evidence for the corresponding indirect association with observed maternal emotional availability differed across inferential methods. Maternal EA categories were descriptively cross-tabulated with CM status (CM: n = 35; non-CM: n = 15). The omnibus distribution did not reach statistical significance (p = .244, Cramer's V = .29), although maternal detachment was more frequent in the CM group (31.4% vs. 6.7%).
Conclusion:
These results highlight the importance of research and trauma-informed care. Early breastfeeding observations may help identify indices of dyadic relationship quality.
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