Effect of mindful with your baby training on infant temperament: What parental factors are at play?

Abstract

Difficult infant temperament and problems in parental functioning can form a vicious circle and have negative long-term consequences for healthy child development. Mindful with your baby (MwyB) has been shown to have positive effects on different areas of parental functioning. This study aims to evaluate whether there is also a positive effect on infant temperament, and through which areas of parental functioning a possible improvement may occur. Mothers (n = 53) of 0–14 month-old infants completed questionnaires at pretest, posttest and follow-up and participated in a MwyB training between pretest and posttest. Mother-reported infant smiling and laughter, and soothability increased at posttest and follow-up whereas sadness and distress to limitation decreased at posttest only. There was no change in cuddliness. Improvements in parenting, maternal (mental) health factors, and coparenting (but not mindfulness factors) between pretest and posttest were predictive of a decrease in difficult infant temperament at follow-up. Improvement in difficult infant temperament between pretest and posttest did not predict improvement in maternal functioning, except for physical health complaints. MwyB may be suitable for mothers who experience problems in their functioning and who experience their infant's temperament as difficult.