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| In
Brief: Child Care in the First Year May Improve Mother-Infant Attachment
Much like the United States, Australia has seen a dramatic increase of working mothers in the past three decades. However, unlike the United States, Australia's government policies have encouraged women with children to re-enter the workforce through the provision of subsidized, regulated child care. A recent report investigated whether maternal employment had an impact on developing mother-infant attachment. First-time Australian mothers were interviewed during their second trimester of pregnancy, and twice after their babies were born. Prenatal interviews showed that the majority of mothers expected to return to work after the birth of their babies and said they would feel comfortable using nonfamily care for their infants. By the end of the first year, two thirds of mothers had returned to some form of paid employment — but most worked less than 30 hours per week. Mothers who indicated they were more committed to returning to work and were less anxious about using nonfamily child care at the prenatal interview were more likely to have secure infants. In addition, earlier return to work was associated with attachment security. This finding was consistent with previous research that had shown that regular, predictable separations begun early in the first year will be less disruptive to attachment security than separations begun later. It is possible that Australian mothers, in general, are more comfortable returning to work and less anxious about nonfamily child care due to the government regulation of child care quality. The wider societal awareness of quality in child care in Australia may also contribute to the more positive attachment outcomes for mothers who chose an earlier return to work. Source:
For
more information: Facts in Action, March/April 2003 |
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