A mother who feels dissatisfaction with herself may resort to abusive behavior such as shaking or smothering toward their offspring. Understanding this association can inform effective prevention strategies. This study aimed to investigate the associations between maternal feelings of dissatisfaction with oneself and infant physical abuse. The study included 434 mothers who had recently given birth in two obstetric wards in a relatively wealthy area in Tokyo, Japan. Adopting a longitudinal design, the study used questionnaires post-childbirth to measure mothers' dissatisfaction with themselves. This involved evaluating perceptions of failing to meet personal standards or self-image. Physical abuse (specifically shaking or smothering) in infants was tracked at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. Data analysis comprised multilevel analysis, group-based trajectory modeling, and multivariable logistic regression to explore the association between maternal dissatisfaction and child physical abuse. Multilevel analysis showed that mothers with middle or high dissatisfaction with themselves were more likely to abuse their infant compared to mothers with low dissatisfaction with themselves (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] 5.71, 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.06–30.78 and aOR 12.47, 95 % CI: 2.11–73.69, respectively). Trajectory analyses indicated that mothers with middle or high dissatisfaction with themselves were consistently more likely to abuse their infants up to 18 months (aOR 8.08, 95 % CI 1.61–40.53 and aOR 6.42, 95 % CI 1.27–32.43, respectively). Our findings highlight a robust association between mother's dissatisfaction with themselves and a higher risk of infant physical abuse. These insights call for a comprehensive review of preventive measures for childhood physical abuse.

中文翻译：

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母亲在出生时对自己的不满与对 18 个月大的后代的摇晃和窒息之间的关联

对自己不满意的母亲可能会采取虐待行为，例如对孩子摇晃或窒息。了解这种关联可以为有效的预防策略提供信息。本研究旨在调查母亲对自己的不满情绪与婴儿身体虐待之间的关系。该研究纳入了 434 名最近在日本东京相对富裕地区的两个产科病房分娩的母亲。该研究采用纵向设计，利用产后问卷来衡量母亲对自己的不满意程度。这涉及评估对未能达到个人标准或自我形象的看法。在 3、6、12 和 18 个月时对婴儿的身体虐待（特别是摇晃或窒息）进行了跟踪。数据分析包括多层次分析、基于群体的轨迹建模和多变量逻辑回归，以探讨母亲不满与儿童身体虐待之间的关联。多水平分析显示，与对自己低不满意的母亲相比，对自己中度或高度不满意的母亲更有可能虐待婴儿（调整后的比值比 [aOR] 5.71，95% 置信区间 [CI]，1.06–30.78 和 aOR 12.47） ，95% CI：分别为 2.11–73.69）。轨迹分析表明，对自己中度或高度不满意的母亲在 18 个月内始终更有可能虐待婴儿（分别为 aOR 8.08，95% CI 1.61–40.53 和 aOR 6.42，95% CI 1.27–32.43）。我们的研究结果强调了母亲对自己的不满与婴儿身体虐待的较高风险之间存在密切的联系。这些见解要求对儿童身体虐待的预防措施进行全面审查。