Who can participate?
Mothers with infants 3–4 months of age who are feeling distress in their relationship with their infant and would like to bond better with their infant may participate.
Objectives:
The focus of this study is mothers who have difficulty forming an emotional relationship with their newborn infant. This study will investigate whether a neurofeedback intervention can help mothers improve their relationship with their 3–4 month old infant.
In the process, mothers practice using MRI to positively influence their brain activity in response to images of their child.
Background:
The postpartum period represents a defining time for both mother and child, demanding constant attention and effort, especially from the mother. Many mothers experience a so-called 'baby honeymoon' after birth – a state that awakens in them the desire to be constantly near their child, to care for it, and enables them to take on the efforts of motherhood. This state lays the foundation for positive development of the infant.
Some mothers find it more difficult to form an emotional bond with their child after birth. This is often accompanied by self-blame, including shame for not being able to respond to their child as positively as they would like.
This study aims to help mothers improve their relationship with their 3–4 month old child by practicing to positively influence their brain activity in response to pictures of their child. To do this, the mothers' brain activity is measured while they are in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and reported back to them simultaniously. This intervention intentionally does not use medication and thus represents a new method to improve the relationship between mother and child in the long term.
Study procedure:
The study includes a total of three appointments (3, 6 and 12 months after birth), at which mothers with and without attachment difficulties come to our Center for Psychosocial Medicine together with their babies. At these appointments, in addition to interviews about the mother's health status and bonding with the baby and other questionnaires, mother-child interaction is recorded and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan is performed.
For mothers participating in the intervention to improve maternal bonding, there are also three training sessions at intervals of about 14 days, during which they practice using the MRI to regulate brain activity upward in response to images of their own child.
In addition, a blood sample is also taken from each mother to measure the bonding hormone oxytocin.
At the age of 12 months, the child's development is also assessed in a playful manner with the help of a general development test.
Study directors:
Jun.-Prof. Dr. A.-L. Zietlow, University of Mannheim.
Prof. Dr. B. Ditzen, Dr. M. Eckstein, Heidelberg University Hospital
In cooperation with:
Prof. Dr. P. Kirsch, Dr. M. Gerchen, Central Institute for Mental Health
Dr. D. Noe, Heidelberg University Hospital
Contact persons:
Dr. Monika Eckstein/
nemuk.infomed.uni-heidelberg.de
Tel. 06221-56-32934