JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE AND INFANT PSYCHOLOGY

Fear of childbirth among Chinese women in the third trimester and mode of delivery
Chen J, He L, Chen A, Wang X and Zhang Z
Findings from studies of the influence of fear of childbirth on mode of delivery in women are equivocal. This study used the 2021 Science Database of People Mental Health to investigate the trend of caesarean sections in the Chinese population and its relationship with the fear of childbirth.
Psychological flexibility and role satisfaction as serial mediators between dispositional mindfulness and postpartum depressive symptoms
Chasson M
Postpartum depression is a major public health issue impacting women's well-being and infant development. Dispositional mindfulness has been linked to lower severity of postpartum depressive symptoms (PDS), but the mechanisms behind this connection remain unclear. This study examines the serial mediation of psychological flexibility and maternal role satisfaction in the relationship between mindfulness facets and PDS.
A longitudinal examination of contributors to new parents' perception of their infant
Ben-Yaakov O and Taubman-Ben-Ari O
Previous studies have examined contributors to personal growth (PG) following the birth of the first child. This study examines for the first time the role of PG as a potential mediator in the relationship between individual characteristics (bond with parents and experiences of parental loss) and parental perception of their infant (warmth, invasiveness). By focusing on PG, this study offers a novel perspective on how parental experiences and relationships influence early parent-child dynamics over time.
Effect of midwives' attitudes towards evidence-based practices on mothers' perceptions regarding childbirth practices and satisfaction
Karataş Okyay E and Öztaş HG
The aim was to determine the effect of midwives' attitudes towards evidence-based practices in childbirth on mothers' perception and satisfaction with childbirth practices.
Barriers to psychological support following early miscarriage. Perspectives of the UK-based IAPT perinatal champion
Carthew J and Gannon K
Early miscarriage has been linked to a wide variety of subsequent psychological difficulties. Despite this, challenges in accessing appropriate psychological support following early miscarriage are emphasised throughout the literature. Few studies have explored barriers to accessing support following early miscarriage from the perspective of healthcare professionals providing support, and none of these have focused solely on National Health Service (NHS) primary mental healthcare settings.
Reproductive timing and social egg freezing within British South Asian communities: a qualitative study
Loyal S
Social egg freezing (SEF) is a technology that enables women to preserve and store healthy, unfertilised eggs for non-medical reasons, for use later on in life. Despite the growing number of women using this technology, very little research has explored the perceptions of SEF among women from ethnically minoritised backgrounds.
"Learning to 'waltz' rather than 'wrestle' … " : a novel, ultra-brief intervention supporting early child-caregiver relationships
Potter H, Chadderton G, Mitchell R and D'Arcy Z
The quality of the early child-caregiver relationship plays a crucial role in shaping a child's development. In response to the lack of early intervention provisions for 2-5 year olds, the Leeds Infant Mental Health Service increased their offer to support children up to their fifth birthday (and their caregivers), where relational difficulties impact upon the child's emotional wellbeing.
Prenatal representations link pregnancy intention to observed caregiving
Bailes LG, Fleming B, Ford J, Macfarlane M, Carrow C, Zeanah CH and Humphreys KL
Children from unintended pregnancies are at an increased risk of experiencing less positive parenting practices as well as abuse and neglect. Thus, identifying factors that may explain the association between pregnancy intention and caregiving behaviours is critical, as well as identifying if these associations can be assessed during pregnancy.
Parents' mental health after termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly - a systematic review
Rønnov-Jessen I, Eklund M, Hammer A, O'Connor M, Prinds C and Hvidtjørn D
Terminating a desired pregnancy due to foetal anomalies has been linked to significant distress. It is however less clear what long-term psychological implications the parents face in the aftermath. This systematic review aimed to explore the mental health outcomes of parents after the termination of pregnancy due to foetal anomaly (TOPFA) after gestational week 12 + 0.
LBTQ parents' bonding experiences after complicated births: managing minority stress and traumatic experiences
Malmquist A, Klittmark S, Lehnberg N, Nieminen K and Grundström H
Birth complications increase the risk of birth injuries and neonatal complications, as well as the risk of experiencing childbirth as a trauma. This, in turn, increases the risk of postpartum mental ill-health and may affect early bonding with the baby. Birth complications add additional stress on lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (LBTQ) parents, as they also must navigate hetero- and cisnormative assumptions, being subject to othering, and negative attitudes from healthcare staff.
Sensory-processing sensitivity, parenting styles, and adult attachment patterns in parents of young children
Branjerdporn G, Gillespie KM, Green M, Strong J and Meredith P
Increased sensitivity to internal and external stimuli, known as sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS), has been linked to attachment insecurity and less optimal parenting styles in parents of children aged 4-13 years. Associations between these parenting factors in parents of children aged 3 years and younger have not yet been investigated. Understanding the relationships between these factors will facilitate the development of strategies to better support highly sensitive parents.
Mental health of parents with infants in NICU receiving cooling therapy for hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
Ingram J, Odd D, Beasant L and Chakkarapani E
Parents cuddling their babies during intensive care to promote parent-infant bonding is usual practice in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, babies undergoing cooling therapy and intensive care are not routinely offered parent-infant cuddles due to concerns of impacting the cooling process or intensive care. We developed the CoolCuddle intervention to enable parents to cuddle babies safely during cooling therapy. We investigated whether CoolCuddle impacted parent-infant bonding and parent's mental health.
Associations between dyadic coping, marital satisfaction, and prenatal depression symptoms among couples with gestational diabetes mellitus
Han RR and Gao LL
Coping with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) presents significant challenges for pregnant women and their partners, which may result in elevated prenatal depression symptoms. However, research has predominantly centred on pregnant women with GDM, with little involvement of their partners. To understand their dyadic interactions, it is imperative to involve GDM couples in the study. This study aims to examine the interplay between dyadic coping and prenatal depression symptoms among GDM couples and to explore the possible mediating role of marital satisfaction.
Psychologists' experiences of working with fear of childbirth: implications and advice for care providers
Rondung E, Lier E and Ternström E
Fear of childbirth is a common problem that affects women's health and wellbeing. A variety of interventions have been used in research and clinical settings, but it remains unclear how interventions should be designed to be as effective and acceptable as possible. Additionally, the experiences of psychologists working to support women fearing childbirth are sparsely documented and therefore unavailable for researchers and clinicians. This qualitative study aimed to bridge this gap by exploring and describing the experiences of perinatal psychologists working clinically with women suffering from fear of childbirth.
Perinatal loss: attachment, grief symptoms and women's quality of life
Laura V, Ahmad M, Enrica S and Cristina S
Perinatal loss may cause intense distress even psychiatric issues, affecting the woman's quality of life. Attachment may provide a useful perspective in understanding the outcomes of the mourning process. Thus, the objectives of the present study were to evaluate perinatal grief symptoms and the psychological and general quality of life among 137 Italian women (mean age 36,9. ± 6,88 years old) in relation to attachment, specifically measured through parental care and control.
A realist change model for community-based perinatal mental health peer support from peer volunteers
McLeish J, McCourt C and Ayers S
To investigate what it is about community-based perinatal mental health peer support from trained volunteers that works, for whom, in what circumstances, in what respects, and why; and build a change model that includes positive and negative mechanisms and outcomes.
Routine third-trimester ultrasonography and child neurodevelopmental outcomes: a follow-up of a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial
Henrichs J, van Roekel M, Witteveen AB, Veder M, Feenstra Y, Franx A, de Kroon MLA, van Baar A, Verhoeven CJ, de Jonge A and
Routine third-trimester ultrasonography is increasingly conducted to screen for foetal growth restriction (FGR) and reduce adverse perinatal and child neurodevelopmental outcomes using timely obstetric management. While it did not reduce adverse perinatal outcomes in previous trials, evidence regarding its association with child neurodevelopmental outcome is absent. We examined whether routine third-trimester ultrasonography is positively associated with child developmental and behavioural/emotional outcomes compared to usual care.
Arabic validation of the parental stress scale (PSS) in a population-based sample of Lebanese parents
Hemade A, El Hawat L, Chahine A, Malaeb D, El Khatib S, Dabbous M, Sakr F, Obeid S, Hallit S and Fekih-Romdhane F
Parental stress significantly impacts the well-being of families, and necessitates culturally sensitive tools for its assessment. The Parental Stress Scale, widely used in diverse cultural settings, lacks a validated Arabic version suitable for the Lebanese context, where unique sociopolitical and economic factors might influence parental stress differently. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the scale in Arabic among a Lebanese sample.
Mother-child bond and its relationship with maternal postpartum depression
Diaz-Ogallar MA, Hernandez-Martinez A, Linares-Abad M and Martinez-Galiano JM
The mother-child bond may be related to maternal health, especially postpartum depression (PPD). Existing studies show the need for further in-depth research on the subject.
From partners to parents: the influence of couple dynamics on parent-infant bonding and child development
Zietlow AL, Ditzer J and Garthus-Niegel S
A hopeful future: a qualitative investigation of positive psychological functioning in young mothers
Hinz A, Solomon B, Redsell M, Wenham K, O' Connor L and Mulgrew KE
Young mothers have reported facing specific challenges such as stigmatisation and social isolation, which may be exaggerated by the increasing maternal age in industrialised countries. Despite these challenges, some young mothers have been shown to exhibit resilience and confidence during the transition to parenthood. Using strength-based psychological concepts, this study aimed to identify the facilitators of and barriers to the development of positive psychological states in young Australian mothers.
Translation and validation of the Czech Partner version of the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R)
Lochmannová A, Hollins Martin CJ and Martin CR
The Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) is a widely used, psychometrically robust and brief self-report measure of birth experience from the mothers perspective. The current study sought to adapt and validate the BSS-R for partners, evaluating key psychometric properties, including the underlying tri-dimensional factor structure of stress experienced, personal attributes and quality of care.
Midwives' perspectives and perceptions in relation to perinatal psychotic-like experiences: a qualitative study
Turgoose M, Sellwood W, Chamberlain E and Murray CD
Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) refer to subclinical experiences consistent with psychosis that may include hearing, feeling or seeing things that others cannot, or experiencing unusual beliefs. These experiences appear to be more common during the perinatal period. There appear to be barriers which make it difficult for midwives to support mothers with mental health difficulties. However, it is important that midwives can provide support with PLEs.
Evaluating the factor structure of the pregnancy-related anxiety scale: implications for maternal and infant wellbeing
Calkins FC, Laifer LM, Beck RCB, Gervais SJ and Brock RL
Although the Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Scale - also referred to as the Pregnancy-Related Thoughts Scale (PRT) - is one of the most widely utilised measures of pregnancy-related anxiety (PrA), there is limited research exploring its factor structure and psychometric properties. The present study sought to (a) explore the factor structure of the PRT and (b) examine whether specific dimensions of PrA differentially predict postpartum outcomes.
Feelings, thoughts and experiences of fathers in the early postpartum period: a phenomenological study
Ozcan S and Kirca N
Transition to parenthood is a complex and challenging situation not only for mothers but also for fathers. In this process, fathers' feelings, thoughts and experiences are very important. This study aims to understand fathers' feelings, thoughts and experiences in the early postpartum period.
In search of the people: pregnant women's sense-making of their physical activity-related social experiences
Livingston R, Larkin M, Olander EK and Atkinson L
Social factors are increasingly recognised as influential on antenatal physical activity. While pregnant women describe the people and support they require to remain physically active, little is known about how pregnant women select and make sense of their social experiences throughout pregnancy. This study followed pregnant women's sense-making of their physical activity-related social experiences as pregnancy progressed, and physical activity declined.
Developing a new measure of retrospective body dissatisfaction: links to postnatal bonding and psychological well-being
Munns LB, Crossland AE, McPherson M, Panagiotopoulou E and Preston CEJ
Pregnancy is a transformative time for women and their bodies, and therefore thoughts and feelings about the body understandably change during this period. While previous research has established the impact of body dissatisfaction on factors like antenatal attachment and maternal mental health, there is a notable gap in understanding its long-term effects on postnatal factors. This is often due to high attrition rates in longitudinal studies. Using retrospective measures could address this issue, however a measure of retrospective pregnant body dissatisfaction has not yet been identified.
Protocol for an intervention for new parents experiencing moderate psychosocial adversity: pilot feasibility randomised trial
Sawyer A, Simpson B, Reece C, Richardson V, Carbone J, John M, Linke R, Russo K, Turnbull D and Sawyer M
Parents exposed to psychosocial adversities often experience challenges which, combined with the needs of a new-born infant, can be difficult to manage and increase the risk of poor outcomes for both parents and infants. Psychosocial adversity can disrupt the development of parental-foetal attachment to the baby during pregnancy, which can have a negative effect on parental care and quality of interaction during the postnatal period. This intervention is based on the proposition that enhanced parental capacity to mentalise and emotionally connect to unborn children during pregnancy, and better understanding about how to manage distressing infant behaviour (i.e., persistent crying and sleep problems) will: (i) promote the development of secure parent-infant attachment; (ii) improve antenatal bonding and postnatal parenting; and, (ii) reduce parental distress.
Antenatal and postpartum depression in women who conceived after infertility treatment: a longitudinal study
Ito Y and Nishi D
Although the association between a history of infertility treatment and perinatal depression has been investigated, most research has been cross-sectional and has not used diagnostic assessment tools.
Assessing mother's childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder during the first year postpartum: a systematic review
Ciuffo G, Morais A, Landoni M, Costa R, Pinto TM, Lamela D, Jongenelen I and Ionio C
PTSD after childbirth is a significant but often under-recognised mental health problem. This systematic review aims to examine the measures used to assess childbirth-related PTSD (CB-PTSD) and posttraumatic stress symptoms (CB-PTSS) in mothers in the first year postpartum and to evaluate their psychometric properties.