LENGTH OF MATERNITY LEAVE AND QUALITY OF MOTHER-INFANT INTERACTIONS

The aim of this study was to assess the association between the length of maternity leave and the quality of mother-infant interactions; 198 employed mothers of 4-month-old infants were interviewed and videotap ed in their homes during a feeding time. Hierarchical multiple regress ion analyses indicated a direct association between shorter length of leave and more negative affect and behavior in maternal interactions w ith their infants. Infant and mother stresser/protective variables add ed significantly in predicting the quality of the mother-infant relati onship. There were also significant interaction effects between the le ngth of leave and these variables. Mothers who either reported more de pressive symptoms or who perceived their infant as having a more diffi cult temperament and who had shorter leaves, compared with mothers who had longer leaves, were observed to express less positive affect, sen sitivity, and responsiveness in interactions with their infants. The p ublic policy implications of the relation between length of maternity leave, maternal and infant individual differences, and the quality of mother-infant interactions are discussed.