Maternal Bonding - Essay Example

Maternal Bonding Introduction According to Sosa (1980, pg Over the centuries, the attachment between a mother and her newborn infant has been considered a natural process and it is expected of the mother to care for and nurture her infant. However, the process by which a mother and her baby develop a close relationship is not clearly understood.” The purpose of this paper is to share the results of research on maternal bonding, define the topic of maternal bonding, discuss the key issues surrounding the topic, and develop a management plan including counseling that is evidence based. Defining the Topic According to Sosa (1980, pg. 1), “The human maternal infant bond starts early in pregnancy, has a tendency to strengthen as the child grows older and is affected by numerous factors (see Figure 6). At the present time, data to support the existence of a sensitive period in the human species are inconclusive. Although a majority of mothers feel a sense of belonging to their infants immediately after birth, in some mothers this sense of intimacy commences at a later time. McFarland has pointed out that normal women become attached to their infants at different intervals of time: 41% during pregnancy, 24% at birth, 27% during the first week of life, and the remaining 8% after the first week of life.” The behavior of mothers is influenced by a number of factors. These can include, but are not limited to, the way in which the mother was raised, social and economic conditions, cultural beliefs, parental relationships with the mother’s own parents, and pregnancy experiences to date. The human baby is unable to care for himself, unlike many other animal species. This means that it is up to the mother to extensively care for her infant in order for it to survive. Thankfully, both the mother and the baby have been shown in studies to be ready to interact shortly after birth. Furthermore, the human infant has been shown to be able to interact socially and have far more other abilities than what was previously thought. For instance, the human infant has been shown to interact with his mother via visual and audio stimuli, such as eye contact and turning the head towards the breast (Sosa, 1980). Key Issues Surrounding the Topic There are a number of key issues that surround maternal bonding. These can include things such as cross-cultural beliefs, changing patterns, separation, and breastfeeding (Sosa, 1980). The cultural and traditional beliefs in the area in which a mother resides can influence the behavior between her and her infant. Most cultures consider the birth of an infant a happy event and accept it as a regular part of life. Furthermore, studies show that mothers and babies remain close throughout both infancy and early childhood. Even throughout history, mothers toted babies around closely so that they could perform their everyday duties while still caring for their infants. This remains true even today (Sosa, 1980). Changing patterns are another key issue that can affect maternal bonding. In the past, birthing was performed at home. When a mother went into labor, the husband would gather a midwife and friends and family. Once the baby was born, it was immediately placed on the mother’s breast. This allowed for immediate bonding. This practice continued until the late 1800’s, when the birthing procedure was moved to the hospital. Mothers and infants used to be cared for in the same maternity ward, but this is no longer the case due to the instances of disease that occurred (Sosa, 1980). Separation is another key factor that affects maternal bonding. It is believed that early attachment is vitally important when it comes to building a strong maternal bond between mother and infant (Sosa, 1980). According to the work of Sosa (1980, pg. 1), “In 1972, a study of 28 low income primiparous women disclosed that mothers who received early and extended contact, (one hour of extra contact with their infants within 3 hours after birth, and five hours of extra contact daily for 3 days), had significantly higher attachment behavior scores when compared with a similar group of women who followed hospital routines. It is interesting to note that this difference was still evident at a one year follow-up. In a standardized free play situation when the infants were 2 years old, there was a significant difference in the mothers speech patterns to their infants. Mothers in the extra contact group used fewer imperatives and more conversational language in communicating with their children.” Breastfeeding also shows to have profound impact on maternal bonding and vice versa. Studies have shown that successful early contact between a mother and infant can have a positive impact on duration and quality of breastfeeding, as well as strengthening the maternal bond (Sosa, 1980). According to the work of Sosa (1980, pg. 1), “Leiderman has postulated two different factors that affect maternal behavior: 1) Temporal determinants, including the time of initiation, the continuity, and the quality of maternal contact with her baby, and 2) structural determinants that include sex, birth order, and socioeconomic conditions. Anisfeld and Lipper in a well controlled study, revealed some of the complexities in determining the factors that affect maternal behavior after birth. In their study, the effect of early contact was stronger in primiparous mothers. Also, mothers in low socioeconomic groups appeared to benefit more from extra contact with their newborn infants.” Management Plan Including Counseling In light of the aforementioned findings, there are a number of things that a new mother, mother-to-be, and/or her caretakers can do to better strengthen the maternal bond. First of all, it is important that a mother seek counseling if she has trouble bonding with her infant, has trouble breastfeeding, or experiences any similar condition. It would not hurt for her to seek parental counseling in any circumstance, just to be sure that the best care is being given to her infant. There are also a number of classes that a mother can take that can ultimately strengthen the bond between her and her infant, including childbirthing classes and breastfeeding classes. “Observations by Sosa in Guatemala suggest that the presence of a comforting person during labor and delivery can modify the mothers behavior toward her infant after birth. Mothers with a supportive person present during labor and delivery showed more affectionate behavior toward their infants, when compared with a group of mothers who labored alone. The relationship between breast feeding and early and extended contact seems clear. Frequent suckling will stimulate the release of oxytocin and prolactin, which will stimulate milk release and production, thereby facilitating a successful lactation in the mother. One can speculate that shortly after birth the human mother and her infant are in a state of readiness that allows them to interact with each other, triggering maternal behavior and attachment.” (Sosa, 1980, pg. 1). One of the best things to include in the management plan is simply allowing the mother and the infant to be together as much as possible. The aforementioned steps, if taken, will further enhance the maternal bond according to the studies that were conducted and discussed. There are further studies that need to be conducted on these issues, however. These should include ways to further enhance maternal attachment, studies regarding behavior in mothers just after giving birth and further on through infancy of the child, studies regarding social changes and cultural aspects, and studies regarding the supposed optimacy of maternal bonds at any given time after the birth of an infant (Sosa, 1980). Conclusion According to Feldman, et al (1999, pg. 1), “Attachment behaviors and representations were the highest among mothers of term infants and declined linearly with the duration of mother-infant separation. Maternal trait anxiety and depression were related respectively to higher levels of preoccupations and reduced attachment behaviors and representations, independent of the infant medical condition and mother-child separation.” The purpose of this has been to share the results of research on maternal bonding, define the topic of maternal bonding, discuss the key issues surrounding the topic, and develop a management plan including counseling that is evidence based. The aforementioned studies and discussions describe these issues and detail, as well as offer a comprehensive management plan that a new mother can follow to strengthen the maternal bond. References Sosa, R. (1980). Historical review and recent advances in neonatal and perinatal medicine: Maternal bonding—An overview. Mead Johnson Nutritional Division. Feldman, R.; A. Weller; J. Leckman; J. Kuint; et al. (1999). The nature of the mother’s tie to her infant: Maternal bonding under conditions of proximity, separation, and potential loss. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. Read More