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<p>An estimated 1000 births occur to U.S. women incarcerated in prisons each year. In most cases, newborns are separated from their incarcerated mothers at birth and placed with non-maternal caregivers. Although infants require frequent touch and interaction to form attachments, separation after birth precludes such connections. Moreover, frequently used methods of contact between incarcerated mothers and their children, like letters and phone calls, are inadequate to build attachments. While studies have assessed contact between incarcerated mothers and their older children, none have characterized contact between incarcerated women and their newborns. The goal of this study was to describe contact between incarcerated women and their infants (from birth until 4 months) and identify barriers to contact to inform policies that would promote developmentally appropriate contact during infancy, a sensitive period for bonding and attachment. Data were collected from 39 caregivers of children born to incarcerated mothers in Georgia who are participating in an ongoing birth cohort study. We extracted communications-related quantitative and qualitative data from interviews at intake and when children were between three and four months old. Results indicated that no infants under four months visited their mother. Barriers to in-person visiting were COVID-19 related policies, distance from the facility, and being on the approved visitor list. The most frequent method of contact was phone calls (85%). Two key themes emerged from qualitative data that further characterized caregivers’ experiences with communication: “Mothers’ desire for connection and collaboration” and “Caregivers’ strategies for resilience in the face of barriers.” While both mothers and caregivers desired mother/infant contact and worked to establish it, institutional barriers were significant. The quality of contact between incarcerated postpartum women and their infants was inadequate to facilitate attachment relationships. Policies and programs should facilitate developmentally appropriate visits.</p>

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I’ll make sure he knows you: A mixed methods study of caregiver facilitated contact between incarcerated postpartum mothers and their infants

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月29日

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  • B. Kotlar,
  • K. Piontkowski,
  • J. Lao,
  • H. Tiemeier,
  • J. Poehlmann

摘要

An estimated 1000 births occur to U.S. women incarcerated in prisons each year. In most cases, newborns are separated from their incarcerated mothers at birth and placed with non-maternal caregivers. Although infants require frequent touch and interaction to form attachments, separation after birth precludes such connections. Moreover, frequently used methods of contact between incarcerated mothers and their children, like letters and phone calls, are inadequate to build attachments. While studies have assessed contact between incarcerated mothers and their older children, none have characterized contact between incarcerated women and their newborns. The goal of this study was to describe contact between incarcerated women and their infants (from birth until 4 months) and identify barriers to contact to inform policies that would promote developmentally appropriate contact during infancy, a sensitive period for bonding and attachment. Data were collected from 39 caregivers of children born to incarcerated mothers in Georgia who are participating in an ongoing birth cohort study. We extracted communications-related quantitative and qualitative data from interviews at intake and when children were between three and four months old. Results indicated that no infants under four months visited their mother. Barriers to in-person visiting were COVID-19 related policies, distance from the facility, and being on the approved visitor list. The most frequent method of contact was phone calls (85%). Two key themes emerged from qualitative data that further characterized caregivers’ experiences with communication: “Mothers’ desire for connection and collaboration” and “Caregivers’ strategies for resilience in the face of barriers.” While both mothers and caregivers desired mother/infant contact and worked to establish it, institutional barriers were significant. The quality of contact between incarcerated postpartum women and their infants was inadequate to facilitate attachment relationships. Policies and programs should facilitate developmentally appropriate visits.