Associations Between Breastfeeding, Maternal Emotional Availability, and Infant-Mother Attachment: The Role of Coparenting.

IF 2.1 4区医学 Q2 NURSING

Journal of Human Lactation Pub Date : 2024-08-01 Epub Date: 2024-05-21 DOI:10.1177/08903344241247207

Christine Youngwon Kim, Nicole P Smith, Douglas M Teti

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding is a parenting practice that combines close intimate contact with the opportunity to be sensitive and responsive to the infant, and may have direct and indirect relations with infant attachment. However, researchers have produced inconsistent findings, suggesting there may be other mechanisms involved. Coparenting may play a significant role, as it has been consistently associated with mother-infant relationships.

Research aims: The aims of this study were to examine: (1) whether breastfeeding would be directly associated with infant-mother attachment; (2) whether this association was also indirect, through mothers' quality of caregiving; and (3) whether partners' coparenting support moderates breastfeeding's indirect association with attachment.

Methods: This was a prospective, longitudinal study that drew data from a larger NIH-funded study on sleep and family relationships (R01HD052809). Mothers reported on their feeding practices and coparenting relationships. Independent observations were used to assess mothers' emotional availability toward infants. A separate team of observers assessed infant-mother attachment.

Results: Exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months, and longer duration of any breastfeeding across the 1st year, were directly associated with more secure infant-mother attachment. These associations were also indirect, through maternal emotional availability. Coparenting was a significant moderator, such that the influence of longer breastfeeding duration on improved emotional availability, and, in turn, on more secure attachment, was significant only for mothers who perceived coparenting quality to be low.

Conclusion: Findings highlighted the importance of breastfeeding on both the quality of mothering and infant attachment, but also emphasized that coparenting support may be particularly important for mothers who are unable to breastfeed.

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母乳喂养、母亲情感可用性与婴儿-母亲依恋之间的关系：共同养育的作用

背景：母乳喂养是一种育儿方式，它将亲密接触与对婴儿的敏感和反应机会结合在一起，可能与婴儿的依恋关系有直接和间接的关系。然而，研究人员得出的结论并不一致，这表明其中可能还涉及其他机制。共同育儿可能扮演着重要角色，因为它与母婴关系一直相关：本研究旨在探讨：(1) 母乳喂养是否与母婴依恋直接相关；(2) 这种关联是否也通过母亲的护理质量间接相关；(3) 伴侣的共同养育支持是否会调节母乳喂养与依恋的间接关联：这是一项前瞻性纵向研究，从美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）资助的睡眠与家庭关系大型研究（R01HD052809）中提取数据。母亲们报告了她们的喂养方式和共同养育关系。独立观察用于评估母亲对婴儿的情感可用性。另外一组观察者对婴儿与母亲的依恋关系进行了评估：结果：头 6 个月的纯母乳喂养和头一年的任何母乳喂养持续时间更长，与更安全的母婴依恋关系直接相关。这些关联也通过母亲的情感供应间接产生。共同养育是一个重要的调节因素，因此只有认为共同养育质量较低的母亲才会认为母乳喂养持续时间较长对改善情感可得性，进而对更安全的依恋关系有显著影响：研究结果凸显了母乳喂养对母爱质量和婴儿依恋的重要性，同时也强调了共同养育对无法进行母乳喂养的母亲尤为重要。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Human Lactation 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

5.00

自引率

11.50%

发文量

100

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Committed to the promotion of diversity and equity in all our policies and practices, our aims are: To provide our readers and the international communities of clinicians, educators and scholars working in the field of lactation with current and quality-based evidence, from a broad array of disciplines, including the medical sciences, basic sciences, social sciences and the humanities. To provide student and novice researchers, as well as, researchers whose native language is not English, with expert editorial guidance while preparing their work for publication in JHL. In each issue, the Journal of Human Lactation publishes original research, original theoretical and conceptual articles, discussions of policy and practice issues, and the following special features: Advocacy: A column that discusses a ‘hot’ topic in lactation advocacy About Research: A column focused on an in-depth discussion of a different research topic each issue Lactation Newsmakers: An interview with a widely-recognized outstanding expert in the field from around the globe Research Commentary: A brief discussion of the issues raised in a specific research article published in the current issue Book review(s): Reviews written by content experts about relevant new publications International News Briefs: From major international lactation organizations.