Paternal Bonding Failure and Depression at 1 Month Postpartum Are Associated with Neurodevelopmental Delay in 4-Year-Old Children: An Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Paternal Bonding Failure and Depression at 1 Month Postpartum Are Associated with Neurodevelopmental Delay in 4-Year-Old Children: An Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study
Language: English
Authors: Hidekazu Nishigori (ORCID 0000-0001-6726-2193), Toshie Nishigori, Taku Obara, Kasumi Sakurai, Mami Ishikuro, Satoshi Mizuno, Zen Watanabe, Masatoshi Saito, Chiharu Ota (ORCID 0000-0002-0644-1144), Takahiro Arima, Hirohito Metoki (ORCID 0000-0002-1894-3328), Shinichi Kuriyama, Nobuo Yaegashi
Source: Infant Mental Health Journal: Infancy and Early Childhood. 2026 47(3).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Parent Child Relationship, Depression (Psychology), Correlation, Child Development, Infants, Young Children, Questionnaires, Physical Development, Cognitive Development, Developmental Delays
Geographic Terms: Japan
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Ages and Stages Questionnaires
DOI: 10.1002/imhj.70082
ISSN: 0163-9641
1097-0355
Abstract: We aimed to determine the association between paternal bonding failure and depression in the postpartum period and children's neurodevelopment, as an Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a prospective cohort study. We evaluated the association between the Japanese version of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) / Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores for fathers and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) scores in their 4-year-old children. Paternal MIBS and EPDS were administered at 1 month postpartum. Data from 646 father-child pairs were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Paternal MIBS total scores ≥5 were associated with communication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.786; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.088-7.132), problem-solving (AOR, 3.136; 95% CI, 1.027-9.574), and personal-social delays (AOR, 2.843; 95% CI, 1.353-5.978) (reference, scores ≤2). Paternal EPDS scores ≥8 were associated with fine motor (AOR, 3.315; 95% CI, 1.470-7.473) and problem-solving delays (AOR, 4.904; 95% CI, 1.664-14.446) (reference, scores ≤7). Bonding failure and depression at 1 month postpartum in fathers are associated with neurodevelopmental delays in their 4-year-old children, with different domain-specific patterns.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1504476
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:We aimed to determine the association between paternal bonding failure and depression in the postpartum period and children's neurodevelopment, as an Adjunct Study of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a prospective cohort study. We evaluated the association between the Japanese version of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) / Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores for fathers and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) scores in their 4-year-old children. Paternal MIBS and EPDS were administered at 1 month postpartum. Data from 646 father-child pairs were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Paternal MIBS total scores ≥5 were associated with communication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.786; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.088-7.132), problem-solving (AOR, 3.136; 95% CI, 1.027-9.574), and personal-social delays (AOR, 2.843; 95% CI, 1.353-5.978) (reference, scores ≤2). Paternal EPDS scores ≥8 were associated with fine motor (AOR, 3.315; 95% CI, 1.470-7.473) and problem-solving delays (AOR, 4.904; 95% CI, 1.664-14.446) (reference, scores ≤7). Bonding failure and depression at 1 month postpartum in fathers are associated with neurodevelopmental delays in their 4-year-old children, with different domain-specific patterns.
ISSN:0163-9641
1097-0355
DOI:10.1002/imhj.70082