Caring for a second baby: Effects on interaction between mother and firstborn.

The results of an observational study of 40 families showed a marked increase in confrontation between mother and the firstborn and a decrease in maternal attentive playfulness after birth of a 2nd child. The direct effects of the mother's attention to the 2nd child on her interaction with the 1st child were examined by comparing 3 situations: (a) feeding the 2nd child, (b) holding/caregiving the 2nd child, and (c) not involved with the 2nd child. When the mother was occupied with the 2nd child, there was an increase in confrontation but also in positive involvement between the mother and 1st child. The decrease in maternal attention after the sibling birth occurred in contexts in which the mother was not occupied with the baby. With younger 1st children, these effects were particularly marked. Confrontation was higher in bottle-feeding than in breast-feeding situations. Sex differences were not significant. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)