Breastfeeding Among Mothers Who Have Experienced Childhood Maltreatment: A Review

Background Current breastfeeding recommendations focus on the physical benefits of breastfeeding but do not take into account the influence of a history of childhood maltreatment on mothers’ experiences breastfeeding. A better understanding of this relationship is important to be able to better support mothers during this critical time. Research aim To review current research that examined how women’s personal experiences of childhood maltreatment has affected their breastfeeding outcomes and experiences. Methods A scoping review was conducted to evaluate current literature on breastfeeding and childhood maltreatment. We screened 275 articles, of which eight met the sample selection criteria and were included in this review. These articles were analyzed based on common themes that emerged: Breastfeeding intention, initiation, duration, and exclusivity; medical conditions associated with breastfeeding; and participants’ experiences related to breastfeeding. Results History of childhood maltreatment was associated with decreased and shorter duration of breastfeeding. Participants’ experiences of breastfeeding varied: Some found it empowering, and others experienced great distress while breastfeeding. Challenges during this period included managing touch, struggling with the power differential between providers and participants, and coping with trauma symptoms (e.g., dissociation). Conclusions For some participants, it was possible to breastfeed successfully after childhood maltreatment, but others found the experience extremely difficult, even traumatizing. There is a need for a trauma-informed approach to lactation care for women with a childhood maltreatment history.

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Emotion Recognition in Adults With a History of Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review

Trauma Violence & Abuse ◽

10.1177/15248380211029403 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152483802110294

Author(s):

Annie Bérubé ◽

Jessica Turgeon ◽

Caroline Blais ◽

Daniel Fiset

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Child Maltreatment ◽

Emotion Recognition ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

History Of ◽

Effects On Children ◽

Meta Analyses

Child maltreatment has many well-documented lasting effects on children. Among its consequences, it affects children’s recognition of emotions. More and more studies are recognizing the lasting effect that a history of maltreatment can have on emotion recognition. A systematic literature review was conducted to better understand this relationship. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was used and four databases were searched, MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and FRANCIS, using three cross-referenced key words: child abuse, emotion recognition, and adults. The search process identified 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The review highlights the wide variety of measures used to assess child maltreatment as well as the different protocols used to measure emotion recognition. The results indicate that adults with a history of childhood maltreatment show a differentiated reaction to happiness, anger, and fear. Happiness is less detected, whereas negative emotions are recognized more rapidly and at a lower intensity compared to adults not exposed to such traumatic events. Emotion recognition is also related to greater brain activation for the maltreated group. However, the results are less consistent for adults who also have a diagnosis of mental health problems. The systematic review found that maltreatment affects the perception of emotions expressed on both adult and child faces. However, more research is needed to better understand how a history of maltreatment is related to adults’ perception of children’s emotions.

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Associations Among Teacher Identification of Symptomology in the Classroom and Children’s Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptomology: Potential Influences of Caregiver History of Childhood Maltreatment

Child & Youth Care Forum ◽

10.1007/s10566-021-09662-w ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Paige R. Patterson ◽

Christine A. P. Walther ◽

Sara R. Elkins

Keyword(s):

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Traumatic Stress ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

History Of ◽

Post Traumatic

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The Role of Maternal Self-efficacy in the Link Between Childhood Maltreatment and Maternal Stress During Transition to Motherhood

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/08862605211042871 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 088626052110428

Author(s):

Gabriella Bentley ◽

Osnat Zamir

Keyword(s):

Childhood Abuse ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Self Report ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

Transition To Motherhood ◽

History Of

The transition to motherhood is a significant developmental milestone in many women’s lives. This transitional period may be more stressful for women with a history of childhood maltreatment (CM) than for women without such a history. This study tested whether parental self-efficacy (PSE) accounts for the link between CM and parental stress in mothers transitioning to motherhood. The study used a convenience sample of 1,306 first-time mothers of children aged two years or younger. Mothers filled out online self-report questionnaires assessing history of CM, PSE, and prenatal stress. Consistent with the hypotheses, exposure to CM was directly associated with greater parental stress. Also, PSE partially mediated the associations between CM and parental stress, such that mothers with a history of childhood abuse reported a lower level of PSE, which in turn was associated with greater parental stress. In conclusion, the study highlights the important role of negative cognitions related to parenting for maternal dysfunction following exposure to childhood abuse. These findings suggest a need to incorporate preventive interventions designed to promote PSE for mothers exposed to CM. Such programs may alleviate parental stress and further support the healthy development of the child.

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Trait Mindfulness May Buffer Against the Deleterious Effects of Childhood Abuse in Recurrent Depression: A Retrospective Exploratory Study

10.31234/osf.io/d2cyt ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Shadi Beshai

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Childhood Abuse ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Prospective Trial ◽

Structured Interview ◽

Trait Mindfulness ◽

Recurrent Depression ◽

Related Factors ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

History Of

Objective: Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment are particularly vulnerable to a longer course of depression. Immunization theories of resilience suggest that resilience and related factors may buffer against the deleterious effects of early childhood adversity. Trait mindfulness is linked to resilience and may be a pathway to cultivating this dynamic process. In this study, we investigated whether trait mindfulness can buffer against the effects of early childhood maltreatment in predicting lifetime number of months depressed. Method: We recruited 43 previously depressed, currently remitted patients, and retrospectively examined their depression history (using a structured interview, LIFE-SCID), their self-reported experience of maltreatment in the first 16 years of life (MOPS), and their levels of trait mindfulness (MAAS). Results: We found that number of months depressed in a lifetime was positively associated with reported childhood maltreatment, and negatively associated with trait mindfulness. Secondly, we found evidence that trait mindfulness significantly moderated the relationship of early childhood maltreatment and number of months depressed. Specifically, it appears that individuals who report severe histories of maltreatment are especially vulnerable to recurrent depression if they are also reporting low levels of trait mindfulness. Conclusions: Increasing mindfulness may be warranted among individuals reporting a history of childhood abuse with lower baselines of trait mindfulness; however, results of this retrospective study require replication in a larger, prospective trial.

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History of Childhood Maltreatment Questionnaire

PsycTESTS Dataset ◽

10.1037/t34619-000 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Nicole Yarkovsky ◽

Patti A. Timmons Fritz

Keyword(s):

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

History Of

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Childhood trauma and being at-risk for psychosis are associated with higher peripheral endocannabinoids

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291719001946 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (11) ◽

pp. 1862-1871 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

E. Appiah-Kusi ◽

R. Wilson ◽

M. Colizzi ◽

E. Foglia ◽

E. Klamerus ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

At Risk ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Peripheral Blood ◽

Endocannabinoid System ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

Increased Risk ◽

History Of

AbstractBackgroundEvidence has been accumulating regarding alterations in components of the endocannabinoid system in patients with psychosis. Of all the putative risk factors associated with psychosis, being at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) has the strongest association with the onset of psychosis, and exposure to childhood trauma has been linked to an increased risk of development of psychotic disorder. We aimed to investigate whether being at-risk for psychosis and exposure to childhood trauma were associated with altered endocannabinoid levels.MethodWe compared 33 CHR participants with 58 healthy controls (HC) and collected information about previous exposure to childhood trauma as well as plasma samples to analyse endocannabinoid levels.ResultsIndividuals with both CHR and experience of childhood trauma had higher N-palmitoylethanolamine (p < 0.001) and anandamide (p < 0.001) levels in peripheral blood compared to HC and those with no childhood trauma. There was also a significant correlation between N-palmitoylethanolamine levels and symptoms as well as childhood trauma.ConclusionsOur results suggest an association between CHR and/or childhood maltreatment and elevated endocannabinoid levels in peripheral blood, with a greater alteration in those with both CHR status and history of childhood maltreatment compared to those with either of those risks alone. Furthermore, endocannabinoid levels increased linearly with the number of risk factors and elevated endocannabinoid levels correlated with the severity of CHR symptoms and extent of childhood maltreatment. Further studies in larger cohorts, employing longitudinal designs are needed to confirm these findings and delineate the precise role of endocannabinoid alterations in the pathophysiology of psychosis.

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