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The quality of maternal caregiving is an important factor in the healthy development of a child. One consequence of prolonged insensitive and atypical maternal interaction behavior (e.g., withdrawing from interactions with the child and role-reversal, i.e., the takeover of the parental role or parts of it by the child) in mother-child-dyads can cause alteration of the child's stress response system. Higher salivary cortisol concentrations were reported in infants and toddlers directly after negative interactions with their parents. However, no study to date has examined the association between atypical maternal interaction behavior and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in infants. Here, we studied the association of maternal interaction behavior with HCC of the child. Mother-child dyads (N = 112) participated in the longitudinal study My Childhood—Your Childhood. The AMBIANCE scale and its subscales were used to assess atypical maternal interaction behavior during the Strange Situation Procedure. Chronic stress levels in the child were assessed by HCC of 3 cm hair strands at the age of 12 months. Maternal educational level (operationalized in highest education level) served as a control variable. Robust multiple linear regression analyses revealed that role/boundary confusion was associated with HCC, i.e., the higher atypical interaction behavior of the mother the higher the HCC in the children. By measuring hair cortisol in this study, it is possible to determine the average long-term activity of the child's stress response system.Thus, atypical maternal interaction behavior could be a risk factor for persistent stress in children, contributing to a higher risk for negative health outcomes in later life. The results of this study highlight the importance of early intervention programs that focus on the relationship between mother and child.

For more than two years, young families have been confronted with a large number of restrictions and following burdens as a result of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In fact, it became evident, that the current circumstances are particularly stressful for child's mental health. With regard to the child's mental health in times of a pandemic, additional factors within the family, such as maternal attachment representations as well as coping strategies and parental behavior, may play an important role. This study aims to investigate the interplay of maternal attachment representation, coping strategies, parental behavior and child's mental health during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In this longitudinal study, previously collected data regarding maternal attachment representation and newly attained data from the SARS-CoV-2-pandemic-assesment (lack of coping strategies, children's mental health and parental behavior) were combined and analyzed. The data were collected in an online survey since beginning of the pandemic, including N = 73 mothers. A path model was calculated in form of multiple linear regression. A path model could be confirmed, which indicates that insecure maternal attachment representation predicts lack of coping strategies during the pandemic [b = 5.55, 95%-CI = (4.51; 6.55), p = 0.001]. Furthermore, lack of coping strategies predicts harmful parental behavior during the pandemic [b = −0.77, 95%-CI = (−1.27; −0.21), p = 0.007], which in turn predicts children's mental health problems, namely behavioral problems [b = −0.08, 95%-CI = (−0.14; −0.01), p = 0.027]. Presence of short-time work and decrease in income since beginning of the pandemic were used as control variables. This means that since the pandemic mothers with insecure attachment representation have an increased risk of having only a few coping mechanisms available, leading to harmful parental behaviors and ultimately affecting the mental health of their children. In conclusion, the pandemic could potentially have a particularly negative influence on mothers with an insecure attachment type and therefore on their children. Therefore, tailored interventions for families should be offered that both focus on the different types of mental health problems in children and support parents in their coping skills.

BackgroundBehavioral and physiological (self-)regulation in early life is crucial for the understanding of childhood development and adjustment. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a main player in the regulative system and should therefore be modulated by the quality of interactive behavior of the caregiver. We experimentally investigated the ANS response of 18–36-month-old children in response to the quality of maternal behavior during a mother–child-interacting paradigm.MethodEighty mothers and their children came to our laboratory and took part in an experimental paradigm, consisting of three episodes: a resting phase (E1), a structured play phase (E2), and a free play situation (E3) between mothers and their child. Children’s and mother’s heart rate (HR), the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity via the pre-ejection period (PEP) and the left ventricular ejection time (LVET), and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity via the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were continuously measured by an electrocardiogram. Maternal sensitivity of interactive behavior was assessed by using the Emotional Availability (EA) Scales.ResultsChildren of mothers with insensitive behavior had a significantly lower RSA at baseline, showed a lack of RSA withdrawal during structured and free play, and had shorter LVET across all episodes compared to children of sensitive mothers.ConclusionOur findings depict the influence of low-quality maternal interaction on the child’s ANS regulation, in calm and more stressful play situations. The overall higher SNS mode with impaired PNS reactivity may negatively influence child’s ANS homoeostasis, which may result in a long-term impact on mental and physical wellbeing. Further, the maternal sensitivity may function as a buffer for the stress response of their child. These results could serve as a basis for the development of appropriate psychoeducational programs for mothers of low sensitivity in their interaction with the child.