Assisted reproductive technologies are slightly associated with maternal lack of affection toward the newborn: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Aim To evaluate the association between use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and mother‐to‐infant bonding. Methods Using nationwide birth cohort study with periodical follow‐ups for mothers and children during pregnancy and at 1 year after delivery, mothers were classified following three groups; infertility group with ART: 2792 mothers; infertility group with non‐ART treatment (ovulation induction and intrauterine insemination): 3835 mothers and unaided pregnancy group: 78 726 mothers. Data on maternal and child health as well as basic characteristics were collected via medical records and self‐administered questionnaires. The Japanese version of Mother‐to‐Infant Bonding Scale was used to evaluate maternal bonding style. To evaluate the association between ART and maternal bonding toward babies, multivariate analysis was used with adjustment for potential confounders such as babies' sex, socio‐economic status and history of maternal mental disorders. Results Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that ART was slightly but significantly associated with an increased risk of maternal lack of affection toward their newborn (adjusted odds ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.20), while non‐ART was significantly associated with both maternal lack of affection and anger/rejection toward the newborn. No substantial association was observed between ART and overall Mother‐to‐Infant Bonding Scale score (adjusted odds ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.94–1.12). Very slight negative correlations were observed between poor mother‐to‐infant bonding and good infant mental and physical development at both 6 months and 1 year. Conclusion ART may exert a negative influence on maternal emotion after delivery, but this does not have strong correlation with child development evaluated by mothers.