The association between prenatal maternal anxiety disorders and postpartum perceived and observed mother-infant relationship quality.

Prenatal maternal anxiety disorders have been associated with adverse outcomes in offspring including emotional, behavioral and cognitive problems. There is limited understanding of the mechanisms underpinning these associations, although one possible candidate is an impaired mother-infant relationship. The authors investigated whether prenatal anxiety disorders were associated with poorer postpartum mother-infant relationship quality, measured by maternal self-reported bonding and observed mother-infant interactions. A cohort of 454 pregnant women recruited from an inner-city maternity service in London (UK) were assessed for mental disorders using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and followed up at mid-pregnancy and 3-months postpartum. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and mid-pregnancy (using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale). At three months postpartum, women were assessed for self-reported bonding difficulties (using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire) and a subsample (n = 204) participated in video-recorded mother-infant interaction, coded using the Child-Adult Relationship Experimental Index by an independent rater. Prenatal anxiety disorders were associated with higher perceived bonding impairment, but not associated with observed poor mother-infant interaction quality. Higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with lower maternal sensitivity. Interventions for anxiety disorders in the perinatal period could be tailored to address anxieties about mother-infant relationship and co-morbid depressive symptoms.

Nath S ，Pearson RM ，Moran P ，Pawlby S ，Molyneaux E ，Challacombe FL ，Howard LM ... -  《-》

Maternal bonding in mothers with postpartum anxiety disorder: the crucial role of subclinical depressive symptoms and maternal avoidance behaviour.

Tietz A ，Zietlow AL ，Reck C 《-》

Primiparas' prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, and salivary oxytocin level predict early postnatal maternal-infant bonding: a Japanese longitudinal study.

It was reported that maternal-infant bonding failure predicts abusive parenting. Maternal-infant bonding is important to prevent child abuse. This study aimed to investigate the association between prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, cortisol, and oxytocin levels, and postnatal maternal-infant bonding. The participants completed a self-report prenatal questionnaire that included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in the second trimester. Blood and saliva were collected in the second trimester. Cortisol levels were measured in plasma, while oxytocin levels were measured in saliva. Postnatal questionnaires, including the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), were administered at 2-5 days, 1 month, and 3 months postpartum. Multiple linear regression and generalized estimating equation (GEE) were conducted for analysis. Sixty-six primiparas participated in the study. Prenatal depressive symptoms (EPDS ≥ 9) and anxiety (STAI-S ≥ 42) were observed in 21.2% and 28.8% of the participants, respectively. The median cortisol and oxytocin levels were 21.0 µg/dL and 30.4 pg/mL, respectively. Multivariate linear regression showed that postnatal social support, prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, and salivary oxytocin levels predicted MIBS scores at 2-5 days postpartum. At 1 month postpartum, household income, history of miscarriage, postnatal social support, and prenatal anxiety predicted MIBS scores. At 3 months postpartum, only postnatal social support predicted MIBS scores. The results of GEE showed that prenatal anxiety, oxytocin levels, postpartum period, household income, and postpartum social support were associated with MIBS scores. Prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, and lower salivary oxytocin levels were predicted to worsen maternal-infant bonding at 2-5 days postpartum. Prenatal anxiety was predicted to cause the same 1 month postpartum. Measuring prenatal depressive symptoms, anxiety, and salivary oxytocin levels may render the assessment of the risk of maternal-infant bonding failure during the early postpartum period and intervene during pregnancy possible.

Kanekasu H ，Shiraiwa Y ，Taira S ，Watanabe H ... -  《-》

Postpartum bonding: the role of perinatal depression, anxiety and maternal-fetal bonding during pregnancy.

Dubber S ，Reck C ，Müller M ，Gawlik S ... -  《-》

How maternal pre- and postnatal symptoms of depression and anxiety affect early mother-infant interaction?

Maternal pre- and postnatal psychological distress, such as anxiety and depression, may negatively affect mother-infant interaction quality. However, more information is needed on the role of specific types and timings of pre- and postnatal distress symptoms on mother-infant interaction. Research on the role of maternal anxiety is especially scarce. We examined whether maternal pregnancy- related anxiety (gestational weeks 24 and 34), general anxiety or depressive symptoms (gw 14, 24 and 34 and at the infant age of 3 and 6 months) associate with the quality of mother-infant interaction when the child is eight months old. Maternal symptoms (N = 190) were measured with EPDS, SCL-90 anxiety subscale and PRAQ-R2. Mother-infant interaction was measured with the Emotional Availability Scales (EAS). After controlling for background factors, general anxiety at the 3rd pregnancy trimester was associated with higher maternal intrusiveness in EAS. Depressive symptoms at 6 months postpartum associated with lower maternal structuring behavior and with the child's lower involvement of the mother. A very small number of mothers with severe symptoms of depression and anxiety. Prenatal anxiety and postnatal depressive symptoms may each have unique effects on the different areas of mother-infant interaction, suggesting the need to develop more targeted interventions for mothers with different symptom profiles and timings. Prenatally anxious mothers could potentially benefit from early interventions decreasing stress and anxiety symptoms and specifically promoting their ability to read infant cues appropriately. Infants of postnatally depressed mothers may need interventions where both members of the dyad receive help.

Hakanen H ，Flykt M ，Sinervä E ，Nolvi S ，Kataja EL ，Pelto J ，Karlsson H ，Karlsson L ，Korja R ... -  《-》