Intergenerational Effects of the Mother's History of Neglect and Parental Bonding on Her Postpartum Bonding: A Pilot Study.

Early maternal life experiences, such as childhood maltreatment (CM), particularly emotional neglect may disrupt her recall of parental bonding experiences and the development of a healthy mother-infant relationship. This pilot study of thirty-eight postpartum Latina mothers examined preliminary intergenerational associations of maternal retrospective self-reported history of CM, particularly emotional and physical neglect (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-CTQ), perception of parental bonding (PBI) and postpartum bonding PBQ with her infant. Nonparametric correlations showed that higher emotional neglect, more consistent than physical neglect, was associated with a lower perceived maternal and paternal care, and higher paternal overprotection. Furthermore, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated preliminary evidence that emotional neglect was the most consistent predictor of postpartum bonding difficulties, including general bonding impairment, rejection/anger, and infant-focused anxiety. Higher maternal gestational age emerged as a possible protective factor across model, associated with more favorable bonding outcomes. These preliminary findings suggest that emotional neglect may exert lasting intergenerational effects on perceived parental bonding and maternal bonding capacities in the postpartum period. These results highlight the need for trauma-informed perinatal care and early screening of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to prevent child maltreatment in Hispanic populations.