Maternal sensitivity supports infant sleep: evidence from two longitudinal prospective cohorts on maternal childhood maltreatment, maternal sensitivity, and infant sleep.
Aug 2026· European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry· 0 citations· 65 references
Medicine
Abstract
Maternal childhood maltreatment (CM) has been linked to adverse outcomes in the next generation, including infant sleep, which is crucial for healthy development. This study examined whether maternal sensitivity buffered these effects in 101 German and 117 U.S. mother-infant dyads. Mothers reported on their CM history. Infant night sleep duration was assessed at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. Maternal sensitivity was observed at 6 months. In the German cohort, higher maternal CM predicted shorter infant night sleep (p = .009). Maternal sensitivity moderated this association (p = .038), emphasizing its protective role. While the replication of this interaction was inconclusive in the U.S. sample, the pooled effect across cohorts was significant (p = .03). In the U.S. cohort, maternal sensitivity predicted longer infant sleep (p = .029). Findings highlight that maternal sensitivity supports infant sleep and underscores the need to support parenting, especially in mothers with early adversity.
BACKGROUND
Maternal childhood maltreatment might have long-lasting consequences, not only at the individual level but also within the family system. Yet few studies have used longitudinal observational measures of mother-child interaction to explain the consequences.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the longitudinal lin...
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Highlights What are the main findings? In a low-risk sample, maternal mean perinatal depressive symptoms were directly associated with nurturant parenting quality, while externalizing symptoms mediated the association with hostile parenting quality. In an extended model, externalizing symptoms mediated the association...
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