Maternal self-confidence during the first four months postpartum and its association with anxiety and early infant regulatory problems

Publication date: November 2017 Source:Infant Behavior and Development, Volume 49 Author(s): Lina Maria Matthies, Stephanie Wallwiener, Mitho Müller, Anne Doster, Katharina Plewniok, Sandra Feller, Christof Sohn, Markus Wallwiener, Corinna Reck Maternal self-confidence has become an essential concept in understanding early disturbances in the mother-child relationship. Recent research suggests that maternal self-confidence may be associated with maternal mental health and infant development. The current study investigated the dynamics of maternal self-confidence during the first four months postpartum and the predictive ability of maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, and early regulatory problems in infants. Questionnaires assessing symptoms of depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and early regulatory problems (Questionnaire for crying, sleeping and feeding) were completed in a sample of 130 women at three different time points (third trimester (T1), first week postpartum (T2), and 4 months postpartum (T3). Maternal self-confidence increased significantly over time. High maternal trait anxiety and early infant regulatory problems negatively contributed to the prediction of maternal self-confidence, explaining 31.8% of the variance (R =.583, F 3,96 =15.950, p <.001). Our results emphasize the transactional association between maternal self-confidence, regulatory problems in infants, and maternal men...
Source: Infant Behavior and Development - Category: Child Development Source Type: research