Purpose of Bill:
Proposal seeking maternity leave during the first year of life of newborns to establish a Maternal-Infant bond.
Proposal to eliminate income tax of the mother’s partner/caretaker for that first year of life to alleviate financial stress on the family due to the mother’s loss of income. In the case of single mother or no partner/caretaker, qualification for federal financial support.
Proposal to guarantee the mother the right to return to work at the company and position last held and at current market pay within the first 13 months of the birth of the newborn.
Findings to Support this Bill:
Research has shown that the first 12 months of mother-infant bonding are a critical period for establishing a lifelong attachment and laying the foundation for a child’s emotional, social, and cognitive development.
Research also highlights that high levels of parenting stress can negatively impact bonding and attachment. Supporting mothers in the first years of their babies’ life to prevent postpartum depression (PPD) is crucial.
Studies also show the first year of maternal-infant bonding:
- Promotes successful transition into motherhood: Maternal-infant bonding facilitates a mother’s adaptation to her new role, enabling her to respond to her baby’s needs and develop a sense of identity as a mother.
- Crucial for infant development: The bond between mother and infant is vital for normal infant development, including cognitive, language, and social-emotional growth. It lays the foundation for secure attachment throughout the lifespan.
- Protects against negative effects of prenatal adversity: A positive postnatal environment, including a strong mother-infant bond, can mitigate the negative effects of prenatal adversity on infant development and brain function.
- Influences future relationships: The quality of the maternal-infant bond can shape an individual’s attachment style and ability to form healthy relationships in adulthood.
- Enhances maternal emotional and behavioral changes: The bond between mother and infant influences maternal emotional, brain, and behavioral changes, important in helping to prevent postpartum depression.
- Supports breastfeeding: Breastfeeding, which is facilitated by the maternal-infant bond, has numerous benefits for both mother and infant, including improved infant health and maternal bonding.
- Fosters a sense of security and trust: The bond between mother and infant provides a sense of security and trust, which is essential for the infant’s emotional and psychological development.
Key Studies:
- Bonding occurs gradually: Maternal-infant bonding is a process that unfolds over time, with initial bonding occurring in the first few days and weeks after birth,and continuing to develop throughout the first year (Klaus & Kennell, 1976).
- Impact on child development: Maternal-infant bonding in the first year is linked to later social-emotional development, including attachment security, emotional regulation, and social competence (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000).
- Bonding Impairment: Studies suggest that 6-41% of mother-infant dyads experience disturbances in bonding (Kumar, 1994; Weisman et al., 2010). Factors such as postpartum depression, anxiety, maternal insecure attachment, social support, preterm birth, or infant illness can hinder bonding (Hupcey & Penrod, 2005).
- Partner Support: Involved partners during pregnancy and parenting are associated with optimal maternal-infant bonding (Karacam & Eroglu, 2003; Weisman et al., 2010). This support can mediate the relationship between pre- and postnatal bonding and early child social-emotional development (Tilburg et al., 2017).
- Assessment Tools: The Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire (MIBQ) is a widely used tool to assess maternal emotional involvement with infants (Kumar, 1994). Validation studies have confirmed the reliability and validity of the MIBQ in both pregnancy and postpartum periods (Kitamura et al., 2018).
- Impact on Child Development: Maternal-infant bonding has been linked to early child social-emotional development, with bonding impairment predicting insecure parenting behaviors and adverse outcomes (Kitamura et al., 2018; Alhusen etal.,2013).
- Parenting stress: High levels of parenting stress can negatively impact bonding and attachment (Cummings & Davies, 2010).
Summary:
Research has consistently shown that a strong maternal-infant bond is essential for normal infant development, social-emotional growth and lifelong attachment.
Childhood mental health challenges have been on the rise in the United States. Nearly 20% of children and young people ages 3-17 have a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder (2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report).
Overall, the first year maternal-infant bond is vital for the physical, emotional, and psychological development of both mother and infant.
References:
- Cummings, E. M., & Davies, P. T. (2010). Marital conflict and children’s emotional security: A developmental psychopathology perspective. In J. G. Smetana & J. L. Bates (Eds.), Parent-child relationships and children’s social-emotional development (pp. 155-174). Guilford Press.
- Hupcey & Penrod (2005) - Factors influencing maternal-infant bonding, including postpartum depression and social support.
- Kitamura et al. (2018) - Validation and factor analysis of the Mother-Infant Bonding Questionnaire (MIBQ) in pregnant and postpartum women in Japan.
- Klaus, M. H., & Kennell, J. H. (1976). Maternal-infant bonding. C. V. Mosby.
- Kumar (1994) - Impaired maternal-infant bonding in 6-41% of mother-infant dyads.
- Tilburg et al. (2017) - Partner support mediating the relationship between pre- and postnatal bonding and early child social-emotional development.
- Weisman et al. (2010) - Bonding impairment associated with postpartum depression and anxiety.