Maternal Attachment

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Abstract
To determine whether present hospital practices may affect later maternal behavior, we placed 28 primiparous women in two study groups shortly after delivery of normal full-term infants. Fourteen mothers (control group) had the usual physical contact with their infants, and 14 mothers (extended contact) had 16 hours of additional contact. Mothers' backgrounds and infants' characteristics were similar in both groups. Maternal behavior was measured 28 to 32 days later during a standardized interview, an examination of the baby and a filmed bottle feeding. Extended-contact mothers were more reluctant to leave their infants with someone else, usually stood and watched during the examination, showed greater soothing behavior, and engaged in significantly more eye-to-eye contact and fondling. These studies suggest that simple modification of care shortly after delivery may alter subsequent maternal behavior.