The prospective association of prenatal anxiety symptoms in mothers and fathers with general child development 14 months postpartum and the mediating role of parent-child bonding: a mediation analysis within the longitudinal cohort study DREAM

Parent-child bonding is relevant for child development, especially in the presence of prenatal anxiety symptoms. This is the case for both parents, therefore fathers should be included more frequently in perinatal research and clinical practice as their mental health and bonding appear to be equally important. Furthermore, it is important to address parent-child bonding in clinical care, especially when mothers or fathers suffer from anxiety or depression symptoms.