Neonatal separation: the maternal side of interactional deprivation

Studies of maternal behavior in nonhuman mammals have suggested that the degree of interaction permitted between mother and infant in the postpartum period will influence later maternal attachment and infant development. The hypotheses raised by these studies can be explored with human mothers and infants through manipulation of care procedures of mothers and newborns in the immediate postpartum period. A pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of changing premature care procedures in order to study the effects of interactional deprivation in the neonatal period on maternal attitudes and behavior. Forty-one mothers were permitted to enter the nursery and touch or handle their premature infants in incubators as early as the second day after birth. The feasibility of admitting mothers to the premature nursery without increasing the risk or occurrence of infection, or disrupting the organization of the care of the infants, was demonstrated. We are now conducting a long-term study based on this pilot model to delineate the differences in commitment, feelings of competence, and behavior in the two differentially treated groups of mothers and to relate their behavior to the motor and mental development of the infants.