Establishing an attachment between an infant and his mother forms a crucial element of the baby’s development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says. The term “infant-mother attachment” simply means forming a healthy, loving, connected relationship between a new mother and her baby. As the two bond, the infant learns to trust his mother, and the mother learns to care for her child effectively.
Significance
A securely attached infant feels safer in venturing out independently, explains the Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, because she knows that her mother watches out for her and will help her if she faces any trouble. The attachment mentally and emotionally prepares the baby for development throughout childhood, according to Medical News Today.
Time Frame
A mutual bond can begin immediately after birth or during the following weeks. To help the process start successfully, KidsHealth advises that a mother should hold and feed her infant immediately after he is born. The attachment continues to form throughout the first year of the baby’s life.
Features
To develop the attachment, a mother must care for her baby responsively, the Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine notes. If the baby knows she can depend on her mother’s response to her needs, she then learns to trust her and, consequently, feels safe and supported. Responding to the baby includes deciphering her needs correctly and then fulfilling them effectively, the Bulletin says. Giving a baby affection also aids the development of attachment, notes the HelpGuide. An attachment also connects the mother’s and baby’s emotions; the mother sympathizes with the baby’s sadness and rejoices with her happiness.
Misconceptions
Although some people assume that mothers bond with their babies immediately, a healthy, normal attachment process sometimes requires more time, KidsHealth assures. The attachment does not need to occur naturally--a mother can enhance its development by cuddling, feeding and interacting with her baby.
Factors
Breastfeeding aids the attachment process because it fosters close interaction and physical contact. Because of this, KidsHealth explains that mothers who breastfeed sometimes find that the attachment process happens more quickly and naturally. Mothers who take care of themselves and get support from friends and family also tend to bond with their babies more easily. On the other hand, certain things can hinder or slow the process, including adoption, a difficult delivery, medical problems that place the baby in intensive care or maternal postpartum depression, according to KidsHealth and the HelpGuide.
Effects
A baby who forms a secure attachment with his mother tends to cry less, have more self-confidence, experience better mental health and cooperate better, the Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine concludes. The journal of Development and Psychopathology explains that the development of a secure attachment enhances a baby’s linguistic and socioemotional development, and KidsHealth adds that cognitive development increases as well. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes that mother-infant attachment teaches the child to form healthy relationships, which will affect his future.
References
- Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine: Patterns of infant-mother attachments; Ainsworth; 1985
- Medical News Today: A Mother's Attentiveness To Her Baby's Distress: How She Responds Matters
- KidsHealth: Bonding with Your Baby
- HelpGuide.org: Postpartum Depression and the Baby Blues
- PubMed.gov: Infant-Mother Attachment Security, Contextual Risk, and Early Development: A Moderational Analysis
