Predictors of maternal sensitivity to their children across the first 10 years of life: a prospective population-based study.

Abstract

This longitudinal study within the Generation R cohort (n = 1,085) examined how maternal, child, and contextual factors relate to maternal sensitivity across childhood. Maternal sensitivity was observed at child ages 1, 3, 4, and 10  using the Ainsworth and Erickson scales. Predictors included maternal history of childhood maltreatment, family functioning, prenatal psychopathology, child temperament, genetic predisposition to psychopathology, marital status, and education. Linear mixed-effects models revealed that no maternal, child, or contextual characteristics predicted baseline levels or linear changes in maternal sensitivity from ages 1 to 10 after correcting for multiple testing. However, post-hoc analysis identified a nonlinear decline in sensitivity, ocurring primarily during the child's first four years. Sensitivity analyses for ages 1 to 4 similarly showed no significant predictors, except child sex: mothers exhibted higher sensitivity toward daughters. Overall, maternal sensitivity appears largely independent of these background factors, highlighting the need for further replication beyond infancy.