Rodenboog, EM (2024) Parental stress, parent-infant bonding, and infant neuromotor functioning: an examination of associations. thesis, Medicine.
Full text available on request.Abstract
Aim The young developing brain is very sensitive to many influences from the environment, both positive and negative. Parental stress and parent-infant bonding have been shown to be associated with neurodevelopmental delays in toddlers. However, it is not known at what age this association becomes relevant. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether parental stress and parent-infant bonding are associated with neurological functioning as early as three-months of age, paving the way for new intervention strategies. Methods This study included parent-infant pairs or triads from the TRAILS-NEXT cohort. Parental stress and parent-infant bonding were assessed through the Nijmeegse Ouderlijke Stress Index – Korte versie (NOSI-K) and Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) respectively at three months of age. Infant neurodevelopment was assessed through the general movement assessment (GMA), specifically using the Motor Optimality score – Revised (MOS-R). Results We included 210 infant-mother pairs and 147 infant-partner pairs in the main analysis. No correlations were found between parental stress, parent-infant bonding and general movement assessment at three months of age. Conclusion Parental stress and parent-infant bonding were not associated with infantile neurodevelopment at age of three months, suggesting a wider window of opportunity to intervene in case of parental stress or impaired parent-infant bonding. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies investigating reasoning as to why this association is not found.
| Item Type: | Thesis (UNSPECIFIED) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Bos, AF |
| Faculty: | Medical Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Nov 2025 13:50 |
| Last Modified: | 17 Nov 2025 13:50 |
| URI: | https://umcg.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/3856 |
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