More and more mothers are overprotecting their babies in Quebec. This is what reveals the new publication Parental practices and attitudes, relationships, health and well-being of mothers and fathers, produced from the longitudinal study Growing up in Quebec. This study will follow more than 4,000 children born in 2020-2021 into adulthood. The first results revealed on Tuesday show that a little less than a third of mothers (30%) overprotect their babies, while 18% did so in the previous cohort studied by the ISQ, which focused on children born in 1997-1998.
Parental overprotection encompasses protective behaviors that are excessive given the child’s developmental stage, notes Christine Doucet, research professional in longitudinal studies at the ISQ and author of the publication. “For example, it may be a matter of absolutely wanting to have your baby close to you at all times, of feeling bad about having your baby looked after, etc. »
Many of the young parents interviewed by the researchers also presented depressive symptoms. “During the week preceding the study, the mothers of approximately 29% of the babies and the fathers of approximately 14% of the babies had symptoms at a level of severity indicating probable clinical depression. » They note that the data collection took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, “an event that has affected the general mental health of the population.” Additionally, 33% of mothers and 26% of fathers also reported frequently “feeling like I’m running all day.”
The study also highlighted several positive changes in the parent-baby relationship. For example, for the 1997-1998 cohort, 19% of fathers engaged in parental coercion, that is, they yelled or became angry when their baby was difficult. This proportion increased to 12% in the most recent study. “There aren’t many surveys that can compare two cohorts over time, so it’s very interesting,” points out Ms. Doucet.
One of the newly studied variables is the effect of parents’ screen time on their relationship with their baby. The study showed that one in five mothers spent five hours or more a day in front of a screen during the week outside of work. Among fathers, 12% of them have this behavior per week. “Studies on the subject show that there could be an impact on the child’s development,” notes Ms. Doucet. The more hours spent in front of a screen each day by parents, the lower the level of development of the child one year later. So, this is something that we will continue to follow. »
A large number of new fathers said they were very engaged with their newborns. 82% say they are present physically, emotionally and to play with their child. “This is important because other research has shown that fathers’ involvement has a positive impact on children’s emotional and cognitive development and their academic success,” notes Ms. Doucet. Reading is also part of many babies’ lives, the study notes. “At 5 months, nearly 4 in 10 children (39%) were read to (or shown pictures or books without text) daily by an adult in the home,” the researchers report.