SC Connecticut News

A recent study suggests that substance use during pregnancy and postpartum may influence how strongly mothers feel towards their infants. The research, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research in March 2024, revealed that mothers who used substances during the perinatal period showed differences in brain activity related to affective empathy compared to those who did not.

According to Li Yan McCurdy, a postdoctoral fellow at Yale’s Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging and the study’s first author, mothers who use substances deserve support and help. McCurdy explained that affective empathy, which pertains to the emotions felt in response to others' emotions, was found to be less activated in mothers who used substances when exposed to infant stimuli.

The study also highlighted the distinction between cognitive empathy and affective empathy. Cognitive empathy involves identifying others' emotions, while affective empathy relates to the emotions experienced in response to those emotions. McCurdy emphasized the importance of understanding these differences to better support mothers in caregiving.

When discussing the impact of substance use on maternal responses, McCurdy noted that mothers who used substances reported feeling less intensely towards infant cues, particularly sad ones. However, when shown images of their own smiling baby, no significant difference in affective empathy ratings was observed between the two groups. McCurdy suggested that seeing their own happy baby could serve as a source of reward and motivation for mothers struggling with substance use.

Helena Rutherford, the principal investigator of the study, pointed out that future research is needed to link these responses to caregiving abilities and determine whether the observed differences are a result of substance use or merely associated with it. Rutherford also mentioned the stigma surrounding substance use, especially for mothers, underscoring the importance of studying and supporting this population to enhance their maternal behavior.

In conclusion, McCurdy emphasized the significance of understanding and supporting mothers grappling with substance use to help them be the best parents they can be.