Cristina Sechi

Background: Many studies have shown the influence of maternal perinatal depression on a child’s emotional and behavioral regulation ability; yet there is scarce research on the impact of the father’s perinatal depression on the caregiver–infant relationship and the child’s development. Methods: Through a longitudinal study, we investigated maternal and paternal depression and its association with infants’ emotionality and mother–infant feeding interactions The sample was constituted of 136 first-time parents (68 couples, and their full-term babies at 3 and 6 months old). At T1 (28th week of pregnancy), T2 (three months old), and T3 (at six months age) parents responded to the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale. At Times 2 and 3, mothers and fathers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, and recorded mother–infant interactions were coded by means of the Feeding Scale. Results: Statistical analyses indicated stability of maternal and paternal depression over time. Correlations emerged between mother’s higher depression scores, negative affective state during interactions at three months age, infant food refusal and mother–infant interactional conflict at six months age. Paternal higher depressive scores were associated with the mother–child interactional conflict. To finish, higher parental depression scores were related with infant negative emotionality. Conclusion: The current study confirms the relevance of embracing a cumulative risk model to support the child’s development with early caregiver-child interventions.

The quality of the early parent–infant relationship is crucial for the child’s optimal development, and parental sensitivity plays a key role in early interactions. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of maternal perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms on dyadic sensitivity at three months post-partum, also considering a large set of maternal and infant variables. At the third trimester of pregnancy (T1) and at three months postpartum (T2), 43 primiparous women filled in a set of questionnaires evaluating symptoms of depression (CES-D) or anxiety (STAI), the woman’s parental bonding experiences (PBI), alexithymia (TAS-20), maternal attachment to the baby (PAI, MPAS) and the perceived social support (MSPSS). At T2 mothers also completed a questionnaire on infant temperament and took part in the CARE-Index videotaped procedure. Dyadic sensitivity was predicted by higher maternal trait anxiety scores in pregnancy. In addition, the mother’s experience of being cared for by her father in childhood was predictive of her infant’s lower compulsivity, while paternal overprotection predicted higher unresponsiveness. The results highlight the influence of perinatal maternal psychological well-being and maternal childhood experiences on the quality of the dyadic relationship. The results may be useful to foster mother–child adjustment during the perinatal period.