Thursday, 2 October 2014  | Anna Salleh | ABC

sleep-schedule-for-babyWomen who are anxious and insecure in their close relationships are more likely to have problems bonding with their young children, a new study has found.

The findings could be useful in identifying mothers-to-be who could benefit from cognitive behaviour therapy to improve their relationship with their newborn, says Professor Valsamma Eapen, of the University of New South Wales' School of Psychiatry.

"Separation anxiety could be a clinically important red flag for a closer look and appropriate intervention," says Eapen, whose research was published recently in the journal PLOS ONE.

It is well known that our relationship with our parents can influence our relationship with our own children.

For example, women who failed to bond well with their own mothers, and as a result developed an insecure relationship with them, are more likely to have problems bonding with their own children.

It is believed that the "love hormone" oxytocin plays a key role in this generational cycle, says Eapen.

When a mum cuddles their baby in play or comfort, their level of oxytocin surges and triggers the brain's dopamine-mediated reward system.

"You get joy, you get a kick," says Eapen.

That in turn encourages the mother to cuddle more and this helps in positive bonding and a secure attachment of the baby to their mother.

Animal studies suggest that such experiences during the early stages of development are important in activating the child's developing oxytocin system.

Without the oxytocin system working well, there is no pleasure and reward system to encourage cuddles and bonding and in this way, a lack of bonding is transmitted through the generations.

This is supported by previous studies that have shown people who don't bond well with their parents in early childhood tend to have lower levels of the hormone oxytocin and people who don't bond well with their children also tend to have low levels of oxytocins.

Many mothers are at risk of poor bonding with their children but it is difficult to identify them.

Eapen was interested in seeing if there were symptoms that might alert clinicians to this risk.

She says there is some evidence that women who had an insecure relationship with their mothers are more likely to have symptoms of separation anxiety, a condition in which people are anxious and insecure when they are away from people they are close to.

So Eapen and colleagues set up a study to look at the link between oxytocin, bonding and separation anxiety.

Mother and child study

Eapen and colleagues followed 100 expectant mothers - half of whom had symptoms of separation anxiety - measuring oxytocin levels before and three months after they gave birth.

Using a questionnaire they also assessed the womens' early relationship with their parents, with others, and with their newborn.

They also directly analysed video recordings of the mother and child to assess bonding between them.

Eapen and colleagues found that the women with lower oxytocin levels had higher scores for separation anxiety and were more likely to have had insecure relationships with their own parents. They were less confident in their relationships with others, did not bond as well with their newborns, and were more resentful of them.

Eapen says the findings suggest separation anxiety can be used as a way of identifying women at risk of having difficulties in bonding.

"Mums with separation anxiety can be targeted for intervention," she says.

Eapen says a new kind of cognitive behaviour therapy, focusing on bonding and relationships, preferably before the birth of the child, could be used to help mums change the way they respond to their child.

Eapen stresses there are many different factors that influence a person's relationships with others.

"Just because you had a mum who had difficulties, it doesn't mean 100 per cent you will have problems bonding with your own child."

There has been relatively little study of bonding between fathers and their children, says Eapen.

 

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