Associations Between Breastfeeding, Maternal Emotional Availability, and Infant-Mother Attachment: The Role of Coparenting.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Breastfeeding is a parenting practice that combines close intimate contact with the opportunity to be sensitive and responsive to the infant, and may have direct and indirect relations with infant attachment. However, researchers have produced inconsistent findings, suggesting there may be other mechanisms involved. Coparenting may play a significant role, as it has been consistently associated with mother-infant relationships.

Research aims

The aims of this study were to examine: (1) whether breastfeeding would be directly associated with infant-mother attachment; (2) whether this association was also indirect, through mothers' quality of caregiving; and (3) whether partners' coparenting support moderates breastfeeding's indirect association with attachment.

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SUBMITTER: Kim CY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11340236 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature