Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39760848›Full record

ArticleArchives of women's mental health2025

Links among maternal antenatal attachment, postnatal depressive symptoms and infant crying: a prospective cohort study.

Laura Lærkegård Støve, Ruth Kirk Ertmann, Volkert Dirk Siersma, Sarah Strøyer de Voss, Johanne Smith-Nielsen

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Archives of women's mental health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Laura Lærkegård Støve *Centre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, Copenhagen K, DK-1353, Denmark. laurastoeve@psy.ku.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-5482-2854
Ruth Kirk Ertmann *The Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen K, DK-1353, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4629-3518
Volkert Dirk SiersmaThe Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen K, DK-1353, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1941-2681
Sarah Strøyer de VossThe Research Unit for General Practice, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, Copenhagen K, DK-1353, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9018-9534
Johanne Smith-NielsenCentre of Excellence in Early Intervention and Family Studies, Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 2A, Copenhagen K, DK-1353, Denmark.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3571-6335

Funding

Direktør Jacob Madsen og Hustru Olga Madsens Fond 5421Fonden for Almen Praksis EMN-2017-00265Fonden til Lægevidenskabens Fremme 16-87Lilly og Herbert Hansens Fond 082Novo Nordisk Fonden NNF130C0002689Region Sjælland 15-000342
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study investigated whether maternal antenatal attachment (MAA) in the third trimester was associated with self-reported problematic infant crying at eight weeks postnatally and explored links with postnatal depressive symptoms.

methodsA prospective cohort study was conducted with 1287 pregnant participants in Danish general practice. MAA was measured using the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS) in the third trimester. Both postnatal depressive symptoms and infant crying problems were assessed eight weeks postnatally, using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and maternal reports, respectively.

resultsLow MAAS quality scores in the third trimester were initially associated with a 51% increased risk of reporting problematic infant crying at eight weeks, but this effect disappeared after adjusting for physical and mental health variables (e.g., chronic disease, anxiety, and depression symptoms) during pregnancy. No significant effects were found for MAAS intensity or total score. Low MAAS quality and overall MAAS scores were associated with an increased risk of scoring above cutoff on the EPDS. High levels of postnatal depressive symptoms at eight weeks significantly increased the likelihood of reporting problematic infant crying. Low MAAS scores combined with high levels of postnatal depressive symptoms did not increase the risk of problematic infant crying compared to low levels of depressive symptoms with low MAAS scores.

conclusionsOur findings highlight the importance of considering maternal mental health when parents report infant crying problems postnatally. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that poor MAA in pregnancy is not necessarily linked with parental report of problematic infant crying after birth.

Indexed as

CryingDepression, PostpartumMother-Child RelationsMothersObject AttachmentAdultDenmarkDepressionFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornPregnancyPregnancy Trimester, ThirdPregnant PeopleProspective StudiesExcessive cryingInfancyMaternal antenatal attachmentMaternal depressionPostpartum depression

Identifiers

PMID39760848

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