Longitudinal Study of Maternal Beliefs About Infant Crying During the Postpartum Period: Interplay With Infant’s Temperament

Abstract

Infant crying is an important signal for their survival and development, and maternal beliefs about crying predict responsiveness to crying. Most studies have considered caregivers’ reactions to crying to be fixed, and it is unclear how they change with their caregiving experience. Additionally, it has recently been suggested that there is a bidirectional relationship between changes in mothers’ beliefs about crying and infants’ temperament. This study examined that relationship using a longitudinal study design. Maternal beliefs about crying and infant temperament of 339 Asian first-time mothers (mean age = 28.7 years, SD = 4.1) were measured at 1-month intervals over 4 months. There were 289 participants in Wave 2, 240 in Wave 3, and 164 in Wave 4. Prior to the main survey, we conducted a pre-survey to confirm the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Infant Crying Questionnaire. The results showed that parent-oriented beliefs, which focus on the caregiver rather than the crying infant, increased in mothers who had infants aged 3 months or older at Wave 1. We also found that the process of change in maternal beliefs was not uniform, and that infants high on surgency predicted changes in maternal beliefs about infant crying. Longitudinal studies of caregivers’ changes, such as the present study, are expected to contribute to understanding the co-development of caregivers and infants.

Longitudinal changes in attention bias to infant crying in primiparous mothers

“…The structural changes in the brain, with volume reductions in multiple regions from pregnancy to the postpartum period ( Hoekzema et al, 2017 ), also recover postpartum, suggesting a return to the pre-pregnancy state ( Kim et al, 2010 ; Luders et al, 2020 ). Both other-oriented and self-oriented types of empathy toward infant crying exist and it has been shown that parent-oriented beliefs increase compared with empathy oriented toward infant emotions ( Hiraoka et al, 2021 ). The decrease in bias observed in our study may reflect the early stages of these adaptive processes, including improved cognitive function and reduced bias toward infant stimuli.…”

“…Moreover, certain factors might modulate the trajectory of these changes. For instance, Hiraoka et al (2021) identified varied paths in caregivers’ perceptions regarding infant crying, partly influenced by the infant’s inherent temperament, specifically surgency. Neural responses to infant crying can change depending on the mode of delivery and breastfeeding ( Swain et al, 2008 ; Kim et al, 2011 ), and postnatal interventions have been shown to reduce parenting stress, leading to changes in brain functional connectivity ( Swain et al, 2017 ).…”

“…A longer crying duration and increased frequency could lead to heightened parenting stress and an increased risk of abuse ( Lee et al, 2007 ; Fujiwara et al, 2011 ). Furthermore, while mothers gradually increase parent-oriented beliefs toward their infant’s cry, no significant change is observed between 0–2 months and 4–6 months in the postpartum period ( Hiraoka et al, 2021 ). However, a significant change is detected during the four to 5 months after the third month postpartum.…”

“…However, the frequency of this non-responsive behavior tends to increase gradually over time. It has also been shown that over the postpartum period, there is a gradual increase in orientation toward adults who are listening to the crying and not the crying baby ( Hiraoka et al, 2021 ). Further, while previous studies have used subjective ratings of behavior and beliefs about crying, attentional bias is latent, less influenced by intentions and social desirability, and associated with the risk of psychiatric disorders.…”