Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament

POWER, CARMEN; Williams, Claire; Brown, Amy

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792392

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Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament

CARMEN POWER, Claire Williams

, Amy Brown

Frontiers in Psychology, Volume: 13

Swansea University Authors: CARMEN POWER, Claire Williams , Amy Brown

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DOI (Published version): 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792392

Abstract

Objective: To examine how physical and psychological childbirth experiences affect maternal perceptions and experiences of early infant behavioural style (temperament).Background: Unnecessary interventions may disturb the normal progression of physiological childbirth and instinctive neonatal behavi...

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Published in:	Frontiers in Psychology
ISSN:	1664-1078
Published:	Frontiers Media SA 2022
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa59453

first_indexed	2022-02-25T12:02:29Z
last_indexed	2022-03-09T04:28:08Z
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While little is known about how a medicalised birth may influence developing infant temperament, high impact interventions which affect neonatal crying and cortisol levels could have longer term consequences for infant behaviour and functioning.Methods: A retrospective internet survey was designed to fully explore maternal experiences of childbirth and her postnatal perceptions of infant behaviour. Data collected from 999 mother-infant dyads were analysed using Pearson’s correlations and multiple analyses of covariance, employing the Bonferroni method of correction to establish initially significant variables. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine major perinatal contributors to perceived early infant temperament.Results: Multiple regression analyses on each of the eight Mother and Baby Scales outcome variables indicated that early infant behavioural style (0-6 months) was largely predicted by subjective maternal states during and post childbirth, postnatal depression scores, maternal personality traits and infant age. For example, infant age (Beta = .440, p = .000) was the most significant predictor of Alert-Responsive infant behaviour, followed by maternal Postnatal Positive experience (Beta = .181, p = .000). In contrast, depression (EPDS) scores (Beta = .370, p = .000) were the most significant predictor of Unsettled-Irregular infant behaviour, followed by Anxious-Afraid Birth Emotions (Beta = .171, p = .000) and infant age (Beta = -.196, p = .000). Mothers also perceived their infants as more Alert-Responsive (Beta = .080, p = .010) and Easier overall (Beta = .085, p = .008) after a Supported birth experience.Conclusion: Maternal and infant outcomes were influenced by multiple physical and psychological perinatal variables. The mother’s subjective experience appeared to be of equal significance to more objective factors (e.g., birthplace/mode). Social support enhanced the mother’s childbirth experience, benefitting her perceptions of her baby’s early temperament. These findings provide further support for current World Health Organisation intrapartum guidelines (2018) on the importance of making childbirth a ‘positive experience’ for women.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Frontiers in Psychology</journal><volume>13</volume><journalNumber/><paginationStart/><paginationEnd/><publisher>Frontiers Media SA</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint/><issnElectronic>1664-1078</issnElectronic><keywords>childbirth experience, infant temperament and behaviour, mother-infant bonding and attachment,postnatal anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder</keywords><publishedDay>8</publishedDay><publishedMonth>3</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2022</publishedYear><publishedDate>2022-03-08</publishedDate><doi>10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792392</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>Other</apcterm><lastEdited>2022-03-08T12:45:08.8348128</lastEdited><Created>2022-02-25T11:56:08.4699655</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Psychology</level></path><authors><author><firstname>CARMEN</firstname><surname>POWER</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Claire</firstname><surname>Williams</surname><orcid>0000-0002-0791-744X</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Amy</firstname><surname>Brown</surname><orcid>0000-0002-0438-0157</orcid><order>3</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>59453__22542__97943e06f52e4fb6b0e163f964e5b006.pdf</filename><originalFilename>59453.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2022-03-08T12:43:59.1150661</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1938254</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>Copyright © 2022 Power, Williams and Brown. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY)</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling	2022-03-08T12:45:08.8348128 v2 59453 2022-02-25 Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament 661a337bd61878ae525941b6df63c339 CARMEN POWER CARMEN POWER true false 21dc2ebf100cf324becc27e8db6fde8d 0000-0002-0791-744X Claire Williams Claire Williams true false 37aea6965461cb0510473d109411a0c3 0000-0002-0438-0157 Amy Brown Amy Brown true false 2022-02-25 Objective: To examine how physical and psychological childbirth experiences affect maternal perceptions and experiences of early infant behavioural style (temperament).Background: Unnecessary interventions may disturb the normal progression of physiological childbirth and instinctive neonatal behaviours that facilitate mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. While little is known about how a medicalised birth may influence developing infant temperament, high impact interventions which affect neonatal crying and cortisol levels could have longer term consequences for infant behaviour and functioning.Methods: A retrospective internet survey was designed to fully explore maternal experiences of childbirth and her postnatal perceptions of infant behaviour. Data collected from 999 mother-infant dyads were analysed using Pearson’s correlations and multiple analyses of covariance, employing the Bonferroni method of correction to establish initially significant variables. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine major perinatal contributors to perceived early infant temperament.Results: Multiple regression analyses on each of the eight Mother and Baby Scales outcome variables indicated that early infant behavioural style (0-6 months) was largely predicted by subjective maternal states during and post childbirth, postnatal depression scores, maternal personality traits and infant age. For example, infant age (Beta = .440, p = .000) was the most significant predictor of Alert-Responsive infant behaviour, followed by maternal Postnatal Positive experience (Beta = .181, p = .000). In contrast, depression (EPDS) scores (Beta = .370, p = .000) were the most significant predictor of Unsettled-Irregular infant behaviour, followed by Anxious-Afraid Birth Emotions (Beta = .171, p = .000) and infant age (Beta = -.196, p = .000). Mothers also perceived their infants as more Alert-Responsive (Beta = .080, p = .010) and Easier overall (Beta = .085, p = .008) after a Supported birth experience.Conclusion: Maternal and infant outcomes were influenced by multiple physical and psychological perinatal variables. The mother’s subjective experience appeared to be of equal significance to more objective factors (e.g., birthplace/mode). Social support enhanced the mother’s childbirth experience, benefitting her perceptions of her baby’s early temperament. These findings provide further support for current World Health Organisation intrapartum guidelines (2018) on the importance of making childbirth a ‘positive experience’ for women. Journal Article Frontiers in Psychology 13 Frontiers Media SA 1664-1078 childbirth experience, infant temperament and behaviour, mother-infant bonding and attachment,postnatal anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder 8 3 2022 2022-03-08 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792392 COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University Other 2022-03-08T12:45:08.8348128 2022-02-25T11:56:08.4699655 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology CARMEN POWER 1 Claire Williams 0000-0002-0791-744X 2 Amy Brown 0000-0002-0438-0157 3 59453__22542__97943e06f52e4fb6b0e163f964e5b006.pdf 59453.pdf 2022-03-08T12:43:59.1150661 Output 1938254 application/pdf Version of Record true Copyright © 2022 Power, Williams and Brown. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament
spellingShingle	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament CARMEN POWER Claire Williams Amy Brown
title_short	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament
title_full	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament
title_fullStr	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament
title_full_unstemmed	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament
title_sort	Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament
author_id_str_mv	661a337bd61878ae525941b6df63c339 21dc2ebf100cf324becc27e8db6fde8d 37aea6965461cb0510473d109411a0c3
author_id_fullname_str_mv	661a337bd61878ae525941b6df63c339_*_CARMEN POWER 21dc2ebf100cf324becc27e8db6fde8d__Claire Williams 37aea6965461cb0510473d109411a0c3_**_Amy Brown
author	CARMEN POWER Claire Williams Amy Brown
author2	CARMEN POWER Claire Williams Amy Brown
format	Journal article
container_title	Frontiers in Psychology
container_volume	13
publishDate	2022
institution	Swansea University
issn	1664-1078
doi_str_mv	10.3389/fpsyg.2022.792392
publisher	Frontiers Media SA
college_str	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id	facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id	facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title	Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str	School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
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description	Objective: To examine how physical and psychological childbirth experiences affect maternal perceptions and experiences of early infant behavioural style (temperament).Background: Unnecessary interventions may disturb the normal progression of physiological childbirth and instinctive neonatal behaviours that facilitate mother-infant bonding and breastfeeding. While little is known about how a medicalised birth may influence developing infant temperament, high impact interventions which affect neonatal crying and cortisol levels could have longer term consequences for infant behaviour and functioning.Methods: A retrospective internet survey was designed to fully explore maternal experiences of childbirth and her postnatal perceptions of infant behaviour. Data collected from 999 mother-infant dyads were analysed using Pearson’s correlations and multiple analyses of covariance, employing the Bonferroni method of correction to establish initially significant variables. Multiple linear regressions were conducted to determine major perinatal contributors to perceived early infant temperament.Results: Multiple regression analyses on each of the eight Mother and Baby Scales outcome variables indicated that early infant behavioural style (0-6 months) was largely predicted by subjective maternal states during and post childbirth, postnatal depression scores, maternal personality traits and infant age. For example, infant age (Beta = .440, p = .000) was the most significant predictor of Alert-Responsive infant behaviour, followed by maternal Postnatal Positive experience (Beta = .181, p = .000). In contrast, depression (EPDS) scores (Beta = .370, p = .000) were the most significant predictor of Unsettled-Irregular infant behaviour, followed by Anxious-Afraid Birth Emotions (Beta = .171, p = .000) and infant age (Beta = -.196, p = .000). Mothers also perceived their infants as more Alert-Responsive (Beta = .080, p = .010) and Easier overall (Beta = .085, p = .008) after a Supported birth experience.Conclusion: Maternal and infant outcomes were influenced by multiple physical and psychological perinatal variables. The mother’s subjective experience appeared to be of equal significance to more objective factors (e.g., birthplace/mode). Social support enhanced the mother’s childbirth experience, benefitting her perceptions of her baby’s early temperament. These findings provide further support for current World Health Organisation intrapartum guidelines (2018) on the importance of making childbirth a ‘positive experience’ for women.
published_date	2022-03-08T08:13:33Z
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Physical and Psychological Childbirth Experiences and Early Infant Temperament

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