The role of length of maternity leave in supporting mother–child interactions and attachment security among American mothers and their infants

Plotka, Raquel; Busch-Rossnagel, Nancy A.

doi:10.1186/s40723-018-0041-6

Cited by 29 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Within the first few months of life, these sensitive and contingent behavioral responses form the basis of vital developmental capacities related to regulation and attachment. Past research has reported that not taking any maternity leave or taking a shorter leave after childbirth was negatively associated with parent-child interaction quality and attachment security in infants (Clark et al, 1997;Plotka & Busch-Rossnagel, 2018). Although these studies did not specifically examine instances of paid vs. unpaid leave, they nonetheless illustrate the importance of early social interactions for caregiving behaviors and the mother-child relationship.…”

Section: One Experience Multiple Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…There have been a few studies examining the impact of the length of leave on child developmental outcomes in the U.S. (i.e., Clark et al, 1997;Ruth Feldman et al, 2004;Pisciella, 2008;Plotka & Busch-Rossnagel, 2018), but these studies did not specifically examine differences in paid vs. unpaid leave status. There is only one study, to our knowledge, that has examined these associations for families living in the United States.…”

Section: Impact Of Paid Leave On Infant Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Paid Maternal Leave is Associated with Infant Brain Function at 3-Months of Age

Brito¹,

Werchan²,

Brandes‐Aitken³

et al. 2021

Preprint

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The first few months of postnatal life are critical for establishing key neural connections that support the development of subsequent social, cognitive, and linguistic skills. Yet, the United States lacks a national policy of paid family leave during this important period of early brain development, despite previous research demonstrating links between paid leave and improved maternal mental health, lower rates of infant mortality, and increases in cognitive skills during toddlerhood. The current study examined associations between paid maternal leave and infant brain function at 3-months of age using electroencephalography (EEG). Even after controlling for influential infant and family characteristics, results indicate that compared to unpaid leave, experiences of paid leave were related to distinct EEG profiles, possibly reflecting more mature patterns of brain activity. Findings from this study support past work demonstrating the benefits of paid leave on infant cognitive development and extend this work into early neural functioning. Together with past research, this work suggests that policy interventions mandating paid family leave may lead to reductions in sociodemographic health disparities and set the stage for healthy neurocognitive development.

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Section: One Experience Multiple Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Impact Of Paid Leave On Infant Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paid Maternal Leave is Associated with Infant Brain Function at 3-Months of Age

Brito¹,

Werchan²,

Brandes‐Aitken³

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Attachment theory and research hold that caregivers' own stress, access to secure relationships, mental and physical health, and trauma history contribute substantially to their capacity to provide a secure base (Belsky & Jaffee, 2006;Fearon & Belsky, 2016). This work has been invoked to advocate for policies that reduce family poverty; expand access to affordable quality prenatal and postnatal care, childcare, and physical and mental health care; and provide paid family leave (Bridgman, 2017;Cassidy et al, 2013;Plotka & Busch-Rossnagel, 2018;Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000). Crucially, in the U.S., racial inequities persist at every level of caregiver wellbeing and at every stage of development; for example, African American mothers experience elevated prenatal stress, higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, lower access to physical and mental health care, and greater housing and food insecurity (Wilkinson et al, 2021).…”

Section: Advocating For Anti-racist Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Working toward anti-racist perspectives in attachment theory, research, and practice

Stern

Barbarin

Cassidy

2021

Attachment & Human Development

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Recent social movements have illuminated systemic inequities in U.S. society, including within the social sciences. Thus, it is essential that attachment researchers and practitioners engage in reflection and action to work toward anti-racist perspectives in the field. Our aims in this paper are (1) to share the generative conversations and debates that arose in preparing the Special Issue of Attachment & Human Development, "Attachment Perspectives on Race, Prejudice, and Anti-Racism"; and (2) to propose key considerations for working toward anti-racist perspectives in the field of attachment. We provide recommendations for enriching attachment theory (e.g. considering relations between caregivers' racial-ethnic socialization and secure base provision), research (e.g. increasing the representation of African American researchers and participants), and practice (e.g. advocating for policies that reduce systemic inequities in family supports). Finally, we suggest two relevant models integrating attachment theory with perspectives from Black youth development as guides for future research.

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“…The children of adults with access to PFL also benefit, and a substantial body of literature supports the link between PFL and short-term health and developmental outcomes. PFL has been associated with increased breastfeeding initiation and duration [23,24,25], increased immunization rates [26,27], lower infant and child mortality [28,29,30], and higher quality of mother-infant interactions and attachment security [31].…”

Section: Paid Family Leavementioning

confidence: 99%

Analyzing Policies Through a DOHaD Lens: What Can We Learn?

Goodman

Boone‐Heinonen

Richardson

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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Social, health, and environmental policies are critical tools for providing the conditions needed for healthy populations. However, current policy analyses fall short of capturing their full potential impacts across the life course and from generation to generation. We argue that the field of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), a conceptual and research framework positing that early life experiences significantly affect health trajectories across the lifespan and into future generations, provides an important lens through which to analyze social policies. To illustrate this point, we synthesized evidence related to policies from three domains—family leave, nutrition, and housing—to examine the health implications for multiple generations. We selected these policy domains because they represent increasing distance from a reproductive health focus, each with a growing evidence base to support a potential impact on pregnant women and their offspring. Each of these examples represents an opportunity to extend our understanding of policy impact using a DOHaD lens, taking into account the potential life course and intergenerational effects that have previously been overlooked.

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The role of length of maternity leave in supporting mother–child interactions and attachment security among American mothers and their infants

Cited by 29 publications

References 58 publications

Paid Maternal Leave is Associated with Infant Brain Function at 3-Months of Age

Paid Maternal Leave is Associated with Infant Brain Function at 3-Months of Age

Working toward anti-racist perspectives in attachment theory, research, and practice

Analyzing Policies Through a DOHaD Lens: What Can We Learn?

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