Psychological Risks to Mother-Infant Bonding During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: Parent-Child Relationships During COVID-19: Intersectional Themes Across Development, Culture, and Race

Abstract

Background: Understanding how psychological experiences influence the quality of maternal-infant bonding is a major priority within the field of child development, and arguably a major concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. Postpartum mothers may be concerned about COVID-19- related risks to their own health and their baby’s health. They may experience grief from the loss of routines and milestones around the birth. The ability to foster a strong maternal-infant bond during the pandemic may be particularly dependent on social support and maternal self-efficacy, or the confidence that a mother has in her own capacity to care for her infant. This study sought to explore the associations between mental health symptoms, along with psychological experiences and COVID-19 related concerns, and the reported maternal-infant bonding experiences among postpartum women.

Methods: We relied on data from an online study referred to as the PEACE Study (Perinatal Experiences and COVID-19 Effects), which was launched in May 2020 to understand the well-being of pregnant and postpartum women within the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional online study has assessed 429 women to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 on women during the postpartum period. Enrolled respondents were asked to participate in a 30-45-minute online survey about COVID-19-related experiences, pregnancy, stress, and well-being. Multiple regression analyses were conducted with maternal-infant bonding regressed on sociodemographic characteristics, mental health symptoms, psychosocial factors, and COVID-19 related concerns.

Results: After accounting for sociodemographic characteristics as well as the pandemic duration, higher levels of endorsed depression symptoms were associated with lower levels of maternal-infant bonding (𝛽 = -0.376, p<0.001). However, after taking mental health symptoms into account, higher levels of maternal self-efficacy were correlated with higher levels of maternal-infant bonding (𝛽 = .480, p<0.001), with a similar trend observed in the association between social support with maternal-infant bonding (𝛽 = -0.073, p<0.1). Even more, when accounting for sociodemographic characteristics, symptoms, and protective factors, both reported worries about health and grief of lost experiences specific to the COVID-19 pandemic uniquely contributed to the model. Higher levels of grief were associated with lower levels of maternal-infant bonding (𝛽 = -0.095, p<0.05), whereas higher levels of health worries were associated with higher levels of maternal-infant bonding (𝛽 = 0.093, p<0.05), whereas

Discussion: Depression, low maternal self-efficacy, and grief from the pandemic and may impede the mother’s ability to be emotionally available to her baby. Mothers who worry a lot about their health may have a greater capacity to build a stronger emotional tie with their infant. While worry could reflect a mother’s inclination to protect her infant, with primary maternal preoccupation being adaptive, the question arises whether being overly preoccupied about COVID-19 health risks could potentially go on to limit a mother’s ability to connect with her infant in the longer term. To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe potential psychological risk factors to maternal-infant bonding among postpartum women during the pandemic period. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic may produce risks to the development of early mother-infant relationships.

Authors

• Cindy H. Liu, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
  Presenting Author

• Sunah Hyun, Tufts University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Leena Mittal
  Non-Presenting Author

• Carmina Erdei, Harvard Medical School
  Non-Presenting Author