Maternal and infant risk characteristics, including postpartum depression, infrequent neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) visitation, low gestational age, low birthweight, and prolonged NICU hospitalization, were examined as potential predictors of lower levels of maternal-infant bond or affective connection among mothers of NICU infants, while controlling for civil status and number of siblings. A correlational longitudinal design was used with a convenience sample of 101 mother-infant dyads in a university hospital NICU. Measures included the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI), the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and medical record data. Multiple regression analyses, chi-square tests, and analyses of variance (ANOVA) were employed. Although the primary hypothesis was not supported, post hoc analyses showed that postpartum depression was associated with decreased maternal bond or affective connection. Mothers who developed clinical postpartum depression between Times 1 and 2 demonstrated the greatest decline in bond or connection compared to those with persistent or absent depression. Several MAI items were more normally distributed than total scores, highlighting specific attachment challenges in the NICU context. These findings suggest the need for targeted clinical interventions to address processes that may disrupt maternal-infant bond in high-risk NICU populations. The implications for disenfranchised populations, including non-White and lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups, are also discussed.
Keywords: NICU, bonding, postpartum