
The Effects of Mother-Infant Singing on Emotional Closeness, Affect, Anxiety And Stress Hormones
The authors conclude that singing is associated with increases in perceived mother-infant closeness. The findings support previous research on the effects of singing on closeness and social bonding.
Mother-infant bonding
Mother-infant bonding takes place over a period of weeks and months after birth and is important for the development of secure infant attachment. Bonding is also associated with psychological and behavioural states of mothers.
For example, mothers experiencing anxiety or postnatal depression tend to show decreased levels of affective communication with their babies (Milligan et al, 2003). Psychopharmacological studies on postnatal depression have found that medication can reduce the symptoms of depression, but that this has little impact on mother-infant interactions and bonding.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here