Human and animal models suggest that maternal hormonal and physiological
adaptations during pregnancy shape maternal brain functioning and behavior crucial
for offspring care and survival. Less sensitive maternal behavior, often associated with
psychobiological dysregulation and the offspring’s behavioral and emotional disorders,
has been observed in mothers who have experienced adverse childhood experiences.
Strong evidence shows that children who are exposed to domestic violence (DV) are at
risk of being abused or becoming abusive in adulthood. Yet little is known about the effect
of childhood exposure to DV on the expecting mother, her subsequent caregiving behavior
and related effects on her infant. Thus, the present study examined the association of
maternal exposure to DV during childhood on prenatal maternal attachment, maternal
heart rate reactivity to an infant-crying stimulus and post-natal infant emotional regulation.
Thirty-three women with and without exposure to DV during childhood were recruited
during the first trimester of pregnancy and followed until 6-month after birth. The Maternal
Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS) was used to measure prenatal attachment of the
mother to her fetus during the second trimester of pregnancy, maternal and fetal heart rate
reactivity to an infant-crying stimulus was assessed at the third trimester of pregnancy, and
the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised (IBQ-R) was used to assess infant emotional
regulation at 6-months. Results showed that pregnant women that were exposed to DV
during childhood had a poorer quality of prenatal attachment of mother to fetus, regardless
of whether they also experienced DV during adulthood. In addition, maternal exposure to
DV during childhood was associated with increased maternal heart rate to infant-crying
stimulus and worse infant emotional regulation. These findings highlight the importance
of prenatal screening for maternal exposure to DV during childhood as a risk factor for
disturbances in the development of maternal attachment, dysfunctional maternal behavior
and emotion dysregulation.