Maternal–Infant interaction in women with unipoloar and bipolar depression

Abstract Background One percent of women experience bipolar disorder and are likely to suffer from mood disorders during the postpartum period, potentially impacting interaction with their infants. The purpose of this study was to describe maternal–infant interactions in women with bipolar depression at 12months postpartum and to compare interactions to women with unipolar depression and a control group. Methods Using a descriptive design, maternal–infant interactions in women with bipolar disorder (n=40) were videotaped, coded, and analyzed for maternal sensitivity and maternal–infant reciprocity and compared to maternal–infant interaction in women with unipolar depression (n=50) and women without depression (n=40). Results Women with bipolar depression had lower scores on both maternal sensitivity and infant reciprocity, but differences were nonsignificant. Conclusions This research is the first study to examine maternal–infant interaction in women with bipolar disorder, and important trends were noted. Future research should examine maternal–infant interaction at earlier time periods.