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Glite Dictionary
maternal-infant bonding

maternal-infant bonding

3.9
An emotional tie between a mother and her baby that starts after birth
  • noun
  • /məˈtɜrnəl ˈɪnfənt ˈbɑndɪŋ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vínculo materno-infantil
  • Health professionals encourage practices that support maternal-infant bonding after birth.

Examples

  • Early maternal-infant bonding has been shown to improve a baby's emotional well-being.

  • The process of maternal-infant bonding starts immediately after birth.

  • Researchers study maternal-infant bonding to understand childhood attachment disorders.

  • Many studies focus on maternal-infant bonding in the early weeks.

  • Health professionals encourage practices that support maternal-infant bonding after birth.

  • The process of maternal-infant bonding starts immediately after birth.

  • Early maternal-infant bonding has been shown to improve a baby's emotional well-being.

Synonyms

bonding
vsmaternal-infant bonding
75 2.9

Feeling close to someone over time

is specific to the emotional tie between a parent and newborn from birth
silver cord
vsmaternal-infant bonding
9.0

A strong feeling of love and connection between a mother and her child

is about an emotional attachment that develops from birth

Antonyms

detachment
21 6.1

A lack of emotional involvement with people or situations

How Attached

strong bond
7 3.4
maternal-infant bonding
  • Specialized
3.9

Surface Forms

maternal-infant bonding singular
maternal-infant bondings plural

Morphology

maternal-infant + bonding

The meaning is directly compositional: 'maternal' (relating to the mother) + 'infant' (baby) together specify the participants, and 'bonding' means forming a close emotional relationship. A learner who knows these constituent words can readily infer 'the emotional attachment between a mother and her infant,' making the phrase transparently interpretable.

Etymology

Maternal-infant bonding comes from the simple image of a mother and her baby held close right after birth. When the maternal body and the infant are skin-to-skin, feeding, and looking at each other, bonding happens, so the phrase now means 'the emotional attachment' between mother and baby.