Maternal attachment disturbances in failure to thrive

Diane Benoit · Charles H. Zeanah · Marianne L. Barton

101 citations0/0 files storedInfant Mental Health Journal

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Attachment and Relationship Dynamics Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues

Abstract

Psychological characteristics pertaining to attachment relationships were measured in mothers of 25 hospitalized failure-to-thrive (FTT) infants and mothers of 25 hospitalized, normally growing infants. The groups were matched for race, socioeconomic status, maternal education, and infant's age and sex. Results showed that 96% of mothers of FTT infants were classified as insecure with respect to attachment, as assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview (George, Kaplan, & Main, 1985), compared to 60% of control group mothers. Lack of resolution of mourning over the loss of a loved one was found in 52% of the mothers in the FTT group and in 32% of mothers in the control group. Mothers of FTT infants reported receiving less support from their families and rated their current relationship with their partner as less satisfying. These findings provide empirical support for the widely held clinical notion that FTT in infants is often a relationship disorder between infant and caregiver.

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References

1969Attachment and Loss 1978Patterns of Attachment: A Psychological Study of the Strange Situation 1976Measuring Dyadic Adjustment: New Scales for Assessing the Quality of Marriage and Similar Dyads 1975Four Factor Index of Social Status [1975]1985Security in Infancy, Childhood, and Adulthood: A Move to the Level of Representation 1977The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds 1979The making & breaking of affectional bonds 1985Adult Attachment Interview

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2012Parental representations: A systematic review of the working model of the child interview 1989Implications of Research on Infant Development for Psychodynamic Theory and Practice 1993Social Support Network Orientation: The Role of Adult Attachment Style 1991Parental Attachment and Children's Socio-emotional Development: Some Findings on the Validity of the Adult Attachment Interview in The Netherlands 1995Attachment Organization and Adaptation in Sexually-Abused Women

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