Mother-infant interaction and maternal substance use/abuse: An integrative review of research literature in the 1990s

Purpose (1) Mother-infant interaction is crucial for optimal infant development and parenting. In the environment of prenatal substance use/abuse there is potential for both mother and child to present negative interactive behaviors. Recent increased incidence of substance use/abuse by pregnant women in the United States has provoked concern for the infant's outcome in these circumstances. Recent literature does not indicate a uniformly dismal outlook for infants born exposed to drugs. In this paper, published research from the 1990s that specifically addressed the relationship between prenatal substance use/abuse and the mother-infant interaction was examined utilizing the Barnard model of parent-infant interaction as a guide. Twenty-three articles matched search criteria and were included in the review. Conclusions (2) The majority of studies (14/23) showed that maternal substance abuse was associated with a recognizably detrimental impact on mother-child interaction. Six studies did not confirm an adverse effect. Negative impact on the interaction was related to the degree of maternal substance abuse in three studies and to its continuation postnatally in two. Postnatal environment correlated strongly with the quality of mother-child interaction in the substance-exposed dyads. Implications (3) Clinical and research implications are described.