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The impact of physical maltreatment history on the adolescent
mother-infant relationship: mediating and moderating effects during the
transition to early parenthood.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 2004;32(3):249-261.
Milan S, Lewis J, Ethier KA, Kershaw T, Ickovics JR.
Abstract
Using attachment theory as a framework, this paper examines how pregnant adolescents'
experiences of physical maltreatment during childhood influence the subsequent
mother-infant relationship in 203 low-income adolescents followed from the
3rd trimester of pregnancy through the 1st year of parenthood. The relation
between physical maltreatment history and early difficulty in the mother-infant
relationship was mediated by adolescents' evaluations of the relationship
with their primary caretaker and the feelings they associated with motherhood
measured prior to childbirth. In addition, a supportive romantic relationship
during pregnancy acted as a protective factor by moderating the impact of
maltreatment history on the quality of the subsequent mother-infant relationship.
Findings support the importance of assessments and interventions that consider
the social context and relational history of pregnant and parenting adolescents.