Attentional bias to infant faces might be associated with previous care experiences and involvement in childcare in same-sex mothers / El sesgo de atención hacia los rostros de los bebés podría estar asociado con experiencias de cuidado previas y la participación en el cuidado infantil en madres del mismo sexo

Background: Attentional bias toward infant faces is associated with parental sensitivity and supports the infant-caregiver attachment relationship, ultimately fostering child health outcomes. However, experience-related determinants of parents' attentional bias to infant faces have been poorly investigated. We examined attentional bias to infant versus adult faces in a sample of same-sex mothers (N = 76), and whether it varied depending on maternal involvement in childcare and the perceived quality of past experiences of care. Method: A Go/no-Go attentional task was used to compare the effects of infant and adult faces in retaining attention. Maternal involvement in childcare was measured using items addressing nurturing behaviors. Memories of past experiences of care were collected using the short-form version of the Parental Acceptance-Rejection scale. Results: Results confirmed that infant faces induced greater attentional bias compared to adult faces. More involved mothers were more biased, in terms of attention, to infant versus adult faces. Attentional bias to infant versus adult faces increased as mothers felt more rejected by their own fathers during childhood. Discussion: Our findings suggested that attentional bias to infant faces might be associated with past experiences of care and direct commitment in childcare in same-sex mothers. Robust and accurate empirical findings on same-sex parent families are essential to inform social policies supporting these families’ well being.(AU)

Pregnancy renders anatomical changes in hypothalamic substructures of the human brain that relate to aspects of maternal behavior.

Animal studies have shown that pregnancy is associated with neural adaptations that promote maternal care. The hypothalamus represents a central structure of the mammalian maternal brain and hormonal priming of specific hypothalamic nuclei plays a key role in the induction and expression of maternal behavior. In humans, we have previously demonstrated that becoming a mother involves changes in grey matter anatomy, primarily in association areas of the cerebral cortex. In the current study, we investigated whether pregnancy renders anatomical changes in the hypothalamus. Using an advanced delineation technique, five hypothalamic substructures were defined in longitudinal MRI scans of 107 women extracted from two prospective pre-conception cohort studies, including 50 women who were scanned before and after pregnancy and 57 nulliparous control women scanned at a similar time interval. We showed that becoming a mother is associated with volume reductions in the anterior-superior, superior tuberal and posterior hypothalamus. In addition, these structural changes related to hormonal levels during pregnancy and specific aspects of self-reported maternal behavior in late pregnancy, including maternal-fetal attachment and nesting behavior. These findings show that pregnancy leads to changes in hypothalamic anatomy and suggest that these contribute to the development of maternal behavior in humans, supporting the conservation of key aspects of maternal brain circuitry and their role in maternal behavior across species.

Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting.

This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.

Acute and chronic sleep restriction differentially modify maternal behavior and milk macronutrient composition in the postpartum rat.

BACKGROUNDS: Sleep restriction is considered a stressful condition itself, causing a wide variety of physiological alterations, from cognitive and hormonal to immunological status. In addition, it is established that stress in mother rats can modify milk ejection, milk composition, and maternal care of the pups. Also, sleep disturbances during the early stages of motherhood are a common feature of all studied species. In this context, while the impacts of sleep disruption in non-lactating animals were extensively investigated, its repercussions during the initial phases of motherhood have been poorly explored. Therefore, we wonder if maternal behavior, milk ejection and its macronutrient composition would be disrupted when mother rats are subjected to an additional acute or chronic sleep restriction to the already existing sleep disturbances. METHODS: Lactating rats were implanted with unilateral electrodes for polysomnographic recordings and for deep brain electrical stimulation into mesopontine waking-promoting area (for sleep deprivation). During the early postpartum period (postpartum day 5-9), mother rats were randomly assigned into one of three groups: chronic sleep restriction group (CSR; 6 h of sleep deprivation/day for five consecutive days), acute sleep restriction group (ASR; 6 h of sleep deprivation only for one day), or undisturbed group (control group). Active maternal behaviors (retrievals of the pups into the nest, mouthing, lickings [corporal and anogenital] and sniffing the pups) and passive maternal behaviors (kyphotic and supine nursing postures) were evaluated during a 30 min period without sleep restriction immediately after the sleep restriction or control period. The litter weight gain was assessed every day, and on the last experimental session mothers were milked for posterior macronutrients analysis (protein, carbohydrates and fat). RESULTS: When compared to control group, CSR decreased the amount of milk ejected in the middle days of the sleep restriction period, while ASR did not affect this parameter. Moreover, ASR reduced milk protein content compared to control and CSR groups. Finally, compared to the control group, CSR reduced active maternal behaviors towards the end of the treatment days. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that not only acute but also chronic sleep restriction impacts on the postpartum period, each one affecting different aspects of maternal behavior and lactation. Our results suggest the existence of a homeostatic recovery mechanism in breastfeeding during CSR, possibly ensuring the survival of the litter, while the decline in active maternal behaviors appears to be cumulative.

Parental gender attitudes and children's mental health: Evidence from the UK household longitudinal study.

Gender role attitudes have been found to be associated with the mental health of adults and adolescents, but little is known about whether parents' gender attitudes are associated with their children's mental health. Using data from Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS), a large-population representative sample, we examine the links between parental gender role attitudes and child mental health outcomes as measured by the total and five components of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). We construct structural equation models, separately for mothers and for fathers and for children aged 5 and 8, and adjust for key sociodemographic variables. We find that children aged 5 years exhibit fewer emotional and peer relationship problems and are more prosocial when their mothers have more egalitarian (compared to traditionalist) gender role attitudes. We also find that children are more prosocial at age 8 when their mothers have more egalitarian gender role attitudes. No statistically significant mediation effect is observed via maternal parenting behaviour. Fathers' more egalitarian gender role attitudes were associated with higher hyperactivity at age 5 and more prosocial behaviour at age 8. Further, engaging in less negative parenting behaviour completely mediates the association of fathers' more egalitarian gender attitudes with children's mental health across the majority of the SDQ scales. This suggests that parental gender attitudes may be a possible target for the prevention of mental health difficulties among children; however, future research will be required to examine the extent to which the associations we identified reflect causality.

Effects of sociocultural stressors on maternal responsivity and the infant behavioral and neuroendocrine response to stress in families of Mexican descent.

Maternal stress is consistently linked to alterations in maternal behavior and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. As the Latino population grows in the U.S., it is increasingly important to understand how culturally relevant factors affect this relationship. This study aimed to address the role of sociocultural stressors on maternal sensitivity and markers of infant emotional regulation and the neuroendocrine response to stress in mother/infant dyads of Mexican descent. Pregnant women of Mexican descent (n = 115) were recruited during early pregnancy and followed until their infants were 6 months old. Mothers completed measures of sociocultural stressors (acculturative stress and discrimination) at pre and postnatal time points. At 6 months, dyads underwent the Still Face procedure. Mothers were observed for behaviors exhibiting maternal responsivity, while negative vocalizations were observed in infants. Salivary cortisol was also collected from infants. Maternal responsivity was a salient risk factor for alterations in infant emotional regulation and cortisol activity. Postnatal experiences of discrimination were also negatively associated with infant negative affect. This work highlights maternal responsivity and points to a potential role for experiences of discrimination in the response to stress in the mother/child dyad that may have consequences for the development of emotional regulation in infants of Mexican descent.

Exposure to the psychedelic substance 25 H-NBOMe disrupts maternal care in lactating rats and subsequently impairs the social play behavior of the offspring.

Given the critical role of maternal care in the neurodevelopment of offspring, this study aimed to investigate the effects of the psychedelic substance 25 H-NBOMe on maternal behavior in lactating rats and its subsequent impact on the social and neurodevelopmental behavior of the offspring. We administered two different dosages of 25 H-NBOMe (0.3 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg; i,p,) to lactating rats and observed changes in maternal behaviors, such as nest-building and pup retrieval, and in offspring behaviors, including social play. Behavioral assessments were complemented by physiological measurements to rule out general health or nutritional decline. 25 H-NBOMe significantly disrupted maternal behaviors, including nest-building and pup retrieval, without affecting the weight of dams or offspring. Offspring of exposed dams exhibited reduced social play behavior. Higher doses led to more pronounced disruptions, while lower doses, despite not visibly affecting maternal behavior, still impacted offspring behavior, suggesting potential direct effects of 25 H-NBOMe. The study highlights the potential risks associated with the use of 25 H-NBOMe during lactation, emphasizing its detrimental impact on maternal care and offspring development. These findings contribute to understanding the neurobiological effects of psychedelic substances during critical developmental periods and underscore the importance of avoiding their use.

Undoing mothers' avoidant coping with children's negative emotion: A randomized controlled trial of relational savoring.

Some mothers report using avoidant coping strategies (minimizing, punishing) in response to their young children's negative emotion, an aspect of insensitive parenting that places children at risk for emotional or behavioral dysregulation (Fabes et al., 2001) and insecure attachment (De Wolff & van Ijzendoorn, 1997). In prior work, an in-home attachment-based relational savoring (RS) intervention, administered over a month's time, positively affected maternal emotion and sensitive behavior with young children (Borelli et al., 2023); further, a one-time online RS protocol had greater impacts on emotion and relationship satisfaction for mothers with greater attachment avoidance (Burkhart et al., 2015). However, we do not yet know whether a brief, laboratory intervention impacts highly avoidant mothers' behavior with their children and not just their self-reports of satisfaction. Here, we examine whether mothers' endorsement of avoidant coping strategies moderates the effect of an RS versus active control intervention on mothers' use of emotion-coaching during an emotionally charged conversation with their child. Mothers (N = 122; Mage = 33.42, SD = 5.40) and their preschoolers (Mage = 41.80 months, SD = 4.65; 48.4% female) from diverse backgrounds (41% Latina, 40% White [non-Latina]; 42% under $60,000 annual income) participated. The interaction between condition and level of avoidant coping on mothers' emotion-coaching behaviors was significant. Mothers high in avoidant coping (top quartile) displayed better emotion-coaching during the emotion conversation if they had been in the RS condition. Savoring may be a valuable tool to promote effective emotion-coaching among parents most prone to avoid their children's negative emotion. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mother-infant self- and interactive contingency at four months and infant cognition at one year: A view from microanalysis.

Although a considerable literature documents associations between early mother-infant interaction and cognitive outcomes in the first years of life, few studies examine the contributions of contingently coordinated mother-infant interaction to infant cognitive development. This study examined associations between the temporal dynamics of the contingent coordination of mother-infant face-to-face interaction at 4 months and cognitive performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at age one year in a sample of (N = 100) Latina mother-infant pairs. Split-screen videotaped interactions were coded on a one second time base for the communication modalities of infant and mother gaze and facial affect, infant vocal affect, and mother touch. Multi-level time-series models evaluated self- and interactive contingent processes in these modalities and revealed 4-month patterns of interaction associated with higher one-year cognitive performance, not identified in prior studies. Infant and mother self-contingency, the moment-to-moment probability that the individual's prior behavior predicts the individual's future behavior, was the most robust measure associated with infant cognitive performance. Self-contingency findings showed that more varying infant behavior was optimal for higher infant cognitive performance, namely, greater modulation of negative affect; more stable maternal behavior was optimal for higher infant cognitive performance, namely, greater likelihood of sustaining positive facial affect. Although interactive contingency findings were sparse, they showed that, when mothers looked away, or dampened their faces to interest or mild negative facial affect, infants with higher 12-month cognitive performance were less likely to show negative vocal affect. We suggest that infant ability to modulate negative affect, and maternal ability to sustain positive affect, may be mutually reinforcing, together creating a dyadic climate that is associated with more optimal infant cognitive development.

A longitudinal comparison of maternal behaviour in German urban humans (Homo sapiens) and captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

Comparative perspectives are crucial in the study of human development, yet longitudinal comparisons of humans and other primates are still relatively uncommon. Here, we combined theoretical frameworks from cross-cultural and comparative psychology, to study maternal style in 10 mother-infant pairs of German urban humans (Homo sapiens) and 10 mother-infant pairs of captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), during the first year of infants' development. We conducted focal observations of different behaviours (i.e. nursing, carrying, body contact, touching, grooming, restraining, approaching, leaving, rejection, aggression, mutual gaze, object stimulation), during natural interactions. Analyses revealed a more distal maternal style in WEIRD humans than in captive chimpanzees, with different behaviours being generally more common in one of the two species throughout development. For other behaviours (i.e. nursing), developmental trajectories differed between WEIRD humans and captive chimpanzees, although differences generally decreased through infants' development. Overall, our study confirms functional approaches as a valid tool for comparative longitudinal studies.

Neural correlates of altered emotional responsivity to infant stimuli in mothers who use substances.

Mothers who use substances during pregnancy and postpartum may have altered maternal behavior towards their infants, which can have negative consequences on infant social-emotional development. Since maternal substance use has been associated with difficulties in recognizing and responding to infant emotional expressions, investigating mothers' subjective responses to emotional infant stimuli may provide insight into the neural and psychological processes underlying these differences in maternal behavior. In this study, 39 mothers who used substances during the perinatal period and 42 mothers who did not underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while viewing infant faces and hearing infant cries. Afterwards, they rated the emotional intensity they thought each infant felt ('think'-rating), and how intensely they felt in response to each infant stimulus ('feel'-rating). Mothers who used substances had lower 'feel'-ratings of infant stimuli compared to mothers who did not. Brain regions implicated in affective processing (e.g., insula, inferior frontal gyrus) were less active in response to infant stimuli, and activity in these brain regions statistically predicted maternal substance-use status. Interestingly, 'think'-ratings and activation in brain regions related to cognitive processing (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex) were comparable between the two groups of mothers. Taken together, these results suggest specific neural and psychological processes related to emotional responsivity to infant stimuli may reflect differences in maternal affective processing and may contribute to differences in maternal behavior in mothers who use substances compared to mothers who do not. The findings suggest potential neural targets for increasing maternal emotional responsivity and improving child outcomes.

Attachment and mother-infant interactions in dyads with infants born full-term, moderate-to-late preterm, and very-to-extreme preterm.

BACKGROUND: The impact of prematurity status on attachment quality remains indeterminate. Some studies found no differences between infants born preterm (PT) and infants born full-term (FT), while other investigations present opposite results. AIMS: We aim to contribute to this body of research by studying mother-infant interactive behaviors and quality of attachment in 3 independent samples: Full-Term (FT), Moderate-to-Late Preterm (MLPT) and Very-to-Extreme Preterm (VEPT). STUDY DESIGN: This is a longitudinal laboratory study conducted from 3 to 12 months of age (corrected-age in the case of infants born PT). SUBJECTS: The participants are 213 Portuguese infants (FT = 105; MLPT = 52; VEPT = 56) and their mothers. OUTCOME MEASURES: Mother-infant interactive behavior was observed in free-play at 3 and 9 months (corrected-age). Infant attachment was observed in Strange Situation at 12 months. RESULTS: Secure attachment is more prevalent in infants born FT, and ambivalent attachment is more prevalent in infants born VEPT. Infants with a secure attachment have higher gestational age and weight at birth. Infant and maternal interactive behavior quality is associated with attachment patterns and varies according to infant prematurity status. Last, the results indicate changes in maternal sensitivity and infant difficult behavior from 3 to 9 months of infant's age. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that prematurity status impacts attachment quality. Changes in maternal and infant behavior from 3 to 9 months suggest a period of rapid non-linear development, supporting a transactional multilayered approach to the study of mother-infant relationship.

NMDA- and 6-OHDA-induced Lesions in the Nucleus Accumbens Differently Affect Maternal and Infanticidal Behavior in Pup-naïve Female and Male Mice.

Virgin and pups-naïve female and male adult mice display two opposite responses when they are exposed to pups for the first time. While females generally take care of the pups, males attack them. Since the nucleus accumbens (NA), and its dopaminergic modulation, is critical in integrating information and processing reward and aversion, we investigated if NMDA- and 6-OHDA-induced lesions, damaging mostly NA output and dopaminergic inputs respectively, affected female maternal behavior (MB) or male infanticidal behavior (IB) in mice. Our results revealed minor or no effects of both smaller and larger NMDA-induced lesions in MB and IB. On the other hand, while 6-OHDA-induced lesions in females reduced the incidence of full MB (12.5% 6-OHDA vs. 85.7% SHAM) increasing the latency to retrieve the pups, those lesions did not affect IB in males. There were no differences in locomotor and exploratory activity between the lesioned- and SHAM- females. Despite those lesions did not induce any major effect on IB, NMDA-lesioned males spent less time in the central area of an open field, while dopaminergic-lesioned males showed reduced number of rearing and peripheral crosses. The current study shows that an intact NA is not necessary for the expression of MB and IB. However, dopaminergic inputs to NA play different role in MB and IB. While damaging dopaminergic terminals into the NA did not affect IB, it clearly delayed the more flexible and rewarding expression of parental behavior.

Do Autistic and Depressed Rats Express the Same Type of Maternal Care?

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is more frequently diagnosed in men. Nevertheless, through current diagnostic tools, women have also been found to be affected by this disorder, but in different ways. Few studies have been conducted regarding unique periods of life, such as motherhood. Yet, extant literature has already described the existence of a comorbidity between autism and postpartum depression. Thus, this study aimed to compare the maternal care sphere between two animal models of these diseases. Lactating rats were subdivided into three groups (n = 8 animals/group): 1) control dams; 2) maternal separation (MS) dams, separated from their litter for 3 h daily from lactating day (LD) 2-12 for postpartum depression induction; and 3) valproic acid (VPA) dams, which were the pups of dams treated with 400 mg/kg of VPA (i.p.) on gestational day 12.5 for autism induction. Maternal care tests were performed during lactation and, after weaning, dams were euthanized for the analysis of dopaminergic system on the prefrontal cortex. The results showed an impairment of maternal care of MS dams and an improvement of VPA dams, as well as alterations on dopaminergic system that corroborates the behavior data. These findings indicate that VPA dams express better maternal care, even with cognitive and socialization difficulties. This is probably due to a hyper-focus, as opposed to MS dams, which mimic the maternal care dysfunction expressed by women with postpartum depression.

Maternal contingent responses to distress facilitate infant soothing but not in mothers with depression or infants high in negative affect.

Depression in mothers is consistently associated with reduced caregiving sensitivity and greater infant negative affect expression. The current article examined the real-time behavioral mechanisms underlying these associations using Granger causality time series analyses in a sample of mothers (N = 194; 86.60% White) at elevated risk for depression and their 3-month-old infants (46.40% female) living in a major metropolitan area in the United States. Overall, mothers contingently responded to infant distress, and mothers' responses to infant distress increased the likelihood of infant soothing in real time. However, there was no evidence for maternal contingent responding or facilitation of infant soothing in subsamples of mothers who were currently experiencing elevated depression symptoms or in mothers of highly negative infants. These findings suggest real-time behavioral mechanisms by which risks for maladaptive self-regulation may develop. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Across ages and places: Unpredictability of maternal sensory signals and child internalizing behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Patterns of sensory inputs early in life play an integral role in shaping the maturation of neural circuits, including those implicated in emotion and cognition. In both experimental animal models and observational human research, unpredictable sensory signals have been linked to aberrant developmental outcomes, including poor memory and effortful control. These findings suggest that sensitivity to unpredictable sensory signals is conserved across species and sculpts the developing brain. The current study provides a novel investigation of unpredictable maternal sensory signals in early life and child internalizing behaviors. We tested these associations in three independent cohorts to probe the generalizability of associations across continents and cultures. METHOD: The three prospective longitudinal cohorts were based in Orange, USA (n = 163, 47.2 % female, Mage = 1 year); Turku, Finland (n = 239, 44.8 % female, Mage = 5 years); and Irvine, USA (n = 129, 43.4 % female, Mage = 9.6 years). Unpredictability of maternal sensory signals was quantified during free-play interactions. Child internalizing behaviors were measured via parent report (Orange & Turku) and child self-report (Irvine). RESULTS: Early life exposure to unpredictable maternal sensory signals was associated with greater child fearfulness/anxiety in all three cohorts, above and beyond maternal sensitivity and sociodemographic factors. The association between unpredictable maternal sensory signals and child sadness/depression was relatively weaker and did not reach traditional thresholds for statistical significance. LIMITATIONS: The correlational design limits our ability to make causal inferences. CONCLUSIONS: Findings across the three diverse cohorts suggest that unpredictable maternal signals early in life shape the development of internalizing behaviors, particularly fearfulness and anxiety.

Mapping brain circuits for murine maternal behavior triggered by pup calls.

How sensory cues are integrated at the level of neural circuits to drive maternal behaviors remains incompletely understood. In a recent study, Valtcheva, Issa, and colleagues identified a previously unknown role for the posterior intralaminar (PIL) nucleus of the thalamus within the neural networks that mediate maternal behavior in mice induced by pup calls.

Predicting attachment in Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm: Understanding the roles of infant regulatory behavior, maternal sensitivity, and risk factors.

A growing body of research shows that early attachment relationships are foundational for children's later developmental and psychosocial outcomes. However, findings are mixed regarding whether preterm birth predicts later attachment, but insecurity is generally more prevalent among infants at higher medical and/or social/familial risk. This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific relational, familial/demographic, and perinatal predictors of attachment in a sample of 63 Portuguese infants born very or extremely preterm (VEPT, <32 gestational weeks) and their mothers from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. One-third of the mothers had social/family risk factors (e.g., single parent, immigrant, unemployed, low education, and/or low income). At 3 months (corrected age), dyads were observed during social interaction in the Face-to-Face Still-Face paradigm (FFSF) and during free play. At 12 months, mother-infant dyads were observed in Ainsworth's Strange Situation. Over half (58.7%) of the infants were classified as insecurely attached. Social-Positive Oriented regulatory behavior pattern, higher maternal sensitivity, higher infant cooperation during free play, number of siblings and an absence of social/family risk factors were associated with attachment security. Perinatal variables were unrelated to attachment. Findings indicate that both relational and social contextual factors contribute to attachment in this biologically vulnerable sample.

Un creciente cuerpo investigativo muestra que las relaciones afectivas tempranas son fundamentales para posteriores resultados de desarrollo y sicosociales de los niños. Sin embargo, los resultados son variados acerca de si el nacimiento prematuro predice la afectividad posterior, pero la inseguridad es generalmente más prevalente entre infantes bajo más alto riesgo médico y/o social/familiar. Este estudio longitudinal se propuso identificar factores específicos de predicción de la afectividad, relacionales, familiar/demográficos y perinatales en un grupo muestra de 63 infantes portugueses nacidos muy o extremadamente prematuros (VEPT, < 32 semanas gestacionales) y sus madres de diversos niveles socioeconómicos. Un tercio de las madres tenían factores de riesgo social/familiar (v.g. madre soltera, inmigrante, desempleada, de baja educación y/o de bajos recursos económicos). A los tres meses (edad corregida), se les observó a las díadas durante la interacción social en el paradigma de Cara a Cara y Rostro Inmutable (FFSF) y durante el juego libre. A los 12 meses, se les observó a las díadas madre-infante por medio de la Situación Extraña de Ainsworth. Se clasificó más de la mitad (58.7%) de los infantes como afectivamente inseguros. Entre los factores de predicción de la afectividad segura se incluyó un patrón de conducta regulatoria con orientación social positiva durante FFSF, una sensibilidad materna más alta y la cooperación del infante durante el juego libre, así como la ausencia de factores de riesgo sociales/familiares. Las variables perinatales no estuvieron relacionadas con la afectividad. Los resultados indican que los factores contextuales, tanto relacionales como sociales contribuyen a la afectividad en este grupo biológicamente vulnerable.

Episódios de cuidado cotidiano: diálogos sobre raça, maternagem e rede de apoio / Episodes of daily care: dialogues on race, mothering and support network

Este estudo se dedica a pensar os efeitos do racismo e da racialidade enquanto elementos estruturantes do mundo em que vivemos e da saúde sexual e reprodutiva de mulheres negras, seus projetos de vida e exercício de parentalidade. Por meio de uma perspectiva sobre a impossibilidade da justiça, considerando a necessidade de destruição do Mundo como o conhecemos, e iluminando (com luz negra) a perversidade que não é uma falha mas é a característica mesma do projeto racial que está na base das formações sociais modernas, este trabalho dá centralidade à potência dos emaranhados sociais e da coletividade na produção de estratégias de continuidade da vida, dialogando com as noções de rede e sobrevivência coletiva. Seu objetivo é entender os sentidos e práticas das redes de apoio de mulheres racializadas durante o ciclo gravídico puerperal e no exercício de cuidado à prole em contexto de vulnerabilização. Este é um estudo qualitativo de caráter analítico- exploratório cujas fontes de dados foram produções da literatura científica, registros em diário de campo e discursos das mulheres participantes. Os instrumentos da pesquisa foram uma roda de conversa e duas entrevistas individuais de mulheres mães pretas e periféricas; e a análise elaborada a partir da metodologia episódica proposta por Grada Kilomba. Esta autora encontrou nas narrativas de histórias pessoais de mulheres negras, episódios de suas vidas, a possibilidade de reconstruir e recuperar percepções e definições próprias dos sujeitos que as experenciaram e as têm como própria realidade. Os resultados construídos revelam que os sentidos e práticas das redes de apoio das mulheres-mães negras periféricas envolvidas nesse estudo são múltiplos e ambíguos. Ao mesmo tempo em que possibilitam a emancipação da mulher ao papel da mãe que se dedica integralmente aos filhos em detrimento de seus desejos individuais descolados da maternagem, são também moduladores de sua maternagem e reprodutores da opressão imposta por esse modelo socialmente consolidado. O cenário é complexo, há disputas de gênero, poder institucionalizado, mecanismo de manutenção da visão do outro racial como identidade e referência, jogos de poder e conflito geracional, interesses próprios, alianças consanguíneas, relações por aliança, abandono, vida, vitórias, acolhimento, esperança, acordos, negociações, uma miríade de elementos que sustentam a existência destes sujeitos. Suas maternagens são especialmente atravessadas por eventos críticos, mortes materiais e simbólicas, que tornam seu sofrimento cotidiano e determinam que ressignifiquem sua existência diariamente, à medida em que compartilham o cuidado de seus filhos com seus pares.

This study is dedicated to thinking about the effects of racism and raciality as structuring elements of the world we live in as well as of black women's sexual and reproductive health, their life projects and parenting. Through a perspective on the impossibility of justice, considering the need to destroy the world as we know it, and by shedding (black) light on the perversity that is not a failure but the very characteristic of the racial project that underpins modern social formations, this work focuses on the power of social entanglements and collectivity in the production of strategies for the continuity of life, engaging with the notions of networks and collective survival. It aims to understand the meanings and practices of racialized women's support networks during the pregnancy-puerperium cycle and when caring for their offspring in a context of vulnerability. This is a qualitative study of an analytical-exploratory type and its data sources were scientific literature, field diary entries and the speeches of the participating women. The research instruments were a conversation circle and two individual interviews with black women who are mothers from a peripheral region, and the analysis was based on the episodic methodology proposed by Grada Kilomba. This author found in the narratives of black women's personal stories, episodes from their lives, the possibility of reconstructing and retrieving the perceptions and definitions of the subjects who experienced them and have them as their own reality. The results show that the meanings and practices of support networks of the black women who are mothers in the periphery and were involved in this study are multiple and ambiguous. At the same time as they make it possible for women to emancipate themselves from the role of mothers who dedicate themselves entirely to their children, in detriment to their individual desires detached from mothering, they are also modulators of their mothering and reproducers of the oppression imposed by this socially consolidated model. The scenario is complex, there are gender disputes, institutionalized power, a mechanism for maintaining the view of the racial other as an identity and reference, power games and generational conflict, self-interest, consanguineous alliances, alliance relations, abandonment, life, victories, acceptance, hope, agreements, negotiations, a myriad of elements that sustain the existence of these subjects. Their mothering is especially crossed by critical events, material and symbolic deaths, which make their suffering a daily occurrence and determine that they resignify their existence on a regular basis, as they share the care of their children with their peers.

Violencia obstétrica como factor de riesgo de adopción del rol maternal: una revisión bajo la teoría de Mercer / Obstetric violence as a risk factor for adoption of the maternal role: a review under Mercer's theory

Objetivo: Explorar la influencia de la exposición a violencia obstétrica en la adopción del rol materno bajo la teoría de Ramona Mercer. Metodología: Revisión bibliográfica. Se llevaron a cabo búsquedas en las bases de datos MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, BVS/LILACS, ScienceDirect, WOS y Scielo entre enero y julio de 2023. Se incluyeron estudios en inglés y español; publicados en los últimos diez años, y que estudiaran la relación entre violencia obstétrica y la adopción del rol materno. Resultados: Se incluyeron un total de 14 estudios. Se evidenció que los procedimientos relacionados con violencia obstétrica se asocian con una interrupción del vínculo madre-bebé; mayor dificultad e inseguridad para la instauración del cuidado materno; menor establecimiento de la lactancia materna precoz; trastorno de estrés postraumático y depresión posparto. Estos hallazgos se ajustan a la teoría de adopción del rol materno de Mercer. Conclusiones: El sufrimiento de violencia obstétrica supone un factor de riesgo para la instauración del rol materno, repercutiendo en el binomio madre-bebé. El hecho de facilitar una experiencia de parto positiva podría mejorar dicho proceso y se traduciría en una inversión que contribuiría al bienestar del desarrollo infantil. (AU)

Objective: Explore the influence of exposure to obstetric violence on the adoption of the maternal role under Ramona Mercer's theory. Methodology: Literature review. Searches were carried out in the MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, BVS/LILACS, ScienceDirect, WOS and Scielo databases between January and July 2023. Studies were included in English, Spanish; published in the last ten years; to study the relationship between obstetric violence and the adoption of the maternal role. Results: A total of 14 studies were included. It was evidenced that procedures related to obstetric violence are associated with an interruption of the mother-baby bond; greater difficulty and insecurity in establishing maternal care; less establishment of early breastfeeding; post-traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression. These findings fit Mercer's Maternal Role Adoption Theory. Conclusions: Suffering from obstetric violence is a risk factor for the establishment of the maternal role, impacting the mother-baby binomial. Facilitating a positive birth experience could improve this process and would translate into an investment that would contribute to the well-being of child development. (AU)