Effects of hospital treatment for congenital heart defects on mother-infant bonding, maternal stress, and parenting

Background

Infants with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD) are now surviving longer with more medical treatment available. Many of these infants undergo hospitalisation for life-sustaining procedures in their first seven months. However, barriers to bonding and the psychological burden on parents while caring for an infant during this time can cause issues for the child-parent relationship. This study aimed to assess links among intensive care factors, maternal stress, the Mother-Infant Bond (MIB) and parenting in these mother-infant dyads.

Design and methods

A convenience sample of 148 mothers of CHD children was collected via the Heart Kids Facebook page. An anonymous Qualtrics survey of demographic, hospital experience, MIB, maternal stress and parenting variables was completed retrospectively by mothers of infants with CHD.

Findings

The results indicated that MIB and maternal stress were positively and strongly correlated. Hospital experiences of breastfeeding, staff support required for handling the infant, and prolonged separation were associated with both maternal stress and poorer quality MIB. Maternal past experiences of being parented with care was negatively correlated with maternal stress and MIB difficulties. Time of diagnosis and current parenting style were unrelated to any other variable. Testing the effects of barriers to infant contact and the effect of cardiac surgery highlighted some challenges in assessing these features of care.

Conclusion

Results indicated that postpartum mothers living through the traumatic experience of supporting their infant while they received treatment for CHD need more individualised psychological and social support to promote positive psychological outcomes for the mother-infant dyad.

Practice implications

Healthcare providers should prioritise mental health support and create opportunities for mothers of infants with congenital heart disease (CHD) to engage with their babies, even in intensive care settings, to reduce stress and improve mother-child bonding. Given that breastfeeding can unexpectedly increase maternal stress in these environments, flexible feeding alternatives and realistic guidance should be offered. Additionally, reflective parenting education programs should help mothers understand how their own upbringing influences their parenting approaches during this critical period.