Infant temperament as a predictor of maternal attachment: A Jordanian study.
Sawsan Abuhammad, Manar AlAzzam, Rana AbuFarha
PMID 33570267WHAT IT FOUND
Jordanian mothers reported higher attachment scores when they perceived their infants as easy rather than difficult.
Planned pregnancy also predicted stronger attachment. Self-reported temperament alone does not confirm a clinical deficit in bonding.
Key findings
01Mothers of infants rated as easy had significantly higher maternal attachment scores than those with unpredictable or difficult infants.
02Planning the pregnancy was a significant predictor of maternal attachment alongside infant temperament.
03Infant age and gender did not influence the level of maternal attachment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample, which limits generalizability to the wider population. Data relied entirely on maternal self-report, which may be subject to bias. The sample was culturally specific (Jordanian women), so findings may not apply to other cultural contexts. The cross-sectional design cannot prove that infant temperament causes changes in maternal attachment, only that they are associated.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding or conflicts of interest. The study was supported by Jordan University of Science and Technology.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association between difficult temperament and lower attachment scores as evidence that a difficult infant causes impaired bonding. The study is cross-sectional and relies on self-report, so it cannot determine causality or rule out that maternal perception influences how temperament is rated.