Mother-to-infant bonding

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Paediatrics
• Social Work
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• The concept of maternal 'bonding' is frequently used in discussions of childhood psychopathology and child abuse.
• It is often linked to postpartum contact and separation between mother and infant.
• Bonding is treated as a diagnostic concept with significant explanatory and predictive power.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically review the concept of maternal bonding.
• To explore the empirical basis of bonding and its implications in practice.
• To examine the validity of a 'sensitive period' for mother-infant attachment.

Main Methods:

• Critical literature review of the concept of maternal bonding.
• Analysis of empirical evidence from animal and human studies.
• Examination of the logical and illogical implications of bonding in clinical and social work practice.

Main Results:

• The term 'bonding' is often misleading due to oversimplification of attachment phenomena.
• No evidence supports a 'sensitive period' for mother-infant attachment formation in humans or animals.
• The concept carries negative implications for clinical and social work practice.

Conclusions:

• The concept of maternal bonding requires re-evaluation due to its lack of empirical support and potential for misapplication.
• Alternative conceptualizations of early parent-child interactions are needed.
• Clinical and social work practices should move beyond the simplistic notion of bonding.