New study proves that parental interaction is associated with child development

There have been studies for a while now proving that parental interaction with children, during pregnancy and post, is important for the development of the child in their later years. A new study we came across stated that mothers who 'connect' with their baby during pregnancy are more likely to interact in a more positive way with their infant after it is born. Interaction is important for helping infants learn and develop.

“Studies have shown that parent-child interaction is crucial for a child’s development and learning, so we wanted to understand if there were prenatal signs that might predict a parent’s behaviour,” said lead author Sarah Foley from the University of Cambridge. In the study published in the journal, Development Review, the team carried out a meta-analysis of 14 studies that analysed data from 1,862 parents, examining their thoughts and feelings about the child during pregnancy.

Expectant parents were considered to have a “balanced” representation of their child if they showed positive anticipation of their relationship with the child or showed “mind-mindedness” — a propensity to see their child as an individual, with its own thoughts and feelings.
Moms-to-be, we say, get started now...