A Review of Attachment Theory in the Context of Adolescent Parenting

Abstract The purpose of this article is to review attachment theory and relate the attachment perspective to adolescent mothers and their children. Attachment theory explains positive maternal-infant attachment as a dyadic relationship between the infant and mother that provides the infant with a se...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of pediatric health care 2011-03, Vol.25 (2), p.114-121
Main Authors:	Flaherty, Serena Cherry, MSN, RN, CPNP, Sadler, Lois S., PhD, PNP-BC, FAAN
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adolescent adolescent mother Advanced Practice Nursing Attachment Humans maternal-infant attachment Mother-Child Relations Parenting - psychology Pediatrics
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Abstract The purpose of this article is to review attachment theory and relate the attachment perspective to adolescent mothers and their children. Attachment theory explains positive maternal-infant attachment as a dyadic relationship between the infant and mother that provides the infant with a secure base from which to explore the world. With respect to cognitive, social, and behavioral domains, securely attached infants tend to have more favorable long-term outcomes, while insecurely attached infants are more likely to have adverse outcomes. Adolescent parenthood can disrupt normal adolescent development, and this disruption influences development of the emotional and cognitive capacities necessary for maternal behaviors that foster secure attachment. However, it appears that if specialized supports are in place to facilitate the process of developing attachment, infants of adolescent mothers can obtain higher rates of secure attachment than normative samples in this population.
ISSN:	0891-5245 1532-656X