Effects of the mother's attachment and her emotional responses on a young child's health

A study was conducted to find out influence of a mother's attachment to her child and variability of her heart rhythm on the health of a child diagnosed as ill in the maternity hospital. Children's medical histories were analyzed. The mothers completed a questionnaire diagnosing attachment level and participated in an experiment in which their heart rhythms were recorded while they were recalling pleasant and unpleasant moments involving the child. The findings show that the level of the mother's acceptance of the child is a meaningful influence in its recovery in the first two years of life. The parasympathetic type of the mother's responses while recalling pleasant instances involving the child is a prognostic factor pointing to a high level of the mother's attachment to the child and of a high probability of its recovery.