The development of a maternal caregiving system: Based on changes in the attachment

—caregiving balance scale up to 6–7 months postpartum

Abstract

Objective
To clarify the development process of mothers as caregivers up to 6–7 months postpartum and acquire basic data for the purpose of devising support measures appropriate to development states by looking at chronological changes in the Attachment-Caregiving Balance Scale, which was developed as a scale to measure the development of the maternal caregiving system.
Methods
Mothers who received a 1-month postpartum health check were asked to participate in follow-up research. Valid responses from 116 participants gained from research conducted up to 6–7 months after birth were analyzed. All surveys were collected through mail. The research included the Attachment-Caregiving Balance Scale, childbirth history, and the existence of a parenting adviser. Shifts in the 6 factors that comprise the Attachment-Caregiving Balance Scale were compared using one-way analysis of variance, and covariance structure analysis was utilized to confirm impacts on the 6 factors, such as the child's age and whether a mother had previously given birth.
Results
Out of the 6 factors, significant differences were seen in primipara and multipara at 1 month postpartum for "adaptation: attachment," "sensitivity: attachment," and "sensitivity: caregiving," while a difference was seen in "sensitivity: attachment" at 3–4 months postpartum and 6–7 months postpartum. Significant differences were seen during the 3 postpartum phases in "adaptation: attachment" and "sensitivity: caregiving" for primiparas, and "sensitivity: caregiving" for multiparas. Although childbirth history and the child's age significantly impacted some of the 6 factors, an estimated value of over 0.2 was seen only in childbirth history and "sensitivity: attachment," and the child's age and "sensitivity: caregiving." The coefficient of determination for both was around 10%.
Conclusion
From 1 month to 6–7 months postpartum "adaptation: attachment" declined and "sensitivity: caregiving" rose. No significant chronological difference was seen in "sensitivity: attachment," but multiparas showed a tendency toward increase. Though a child's age and childbirth history were factors impacting the caregiving system, the impact was not substantial. Based on the above, it can be inferred that a caregiver's development is not simply determined by a child's age or whether a mother has previously given birth. Rather, it is thought to be tied to effective support measures that utilize the developmental state of each of the 6 factors and elements that impact them as one type of assessment material.