Dr. Irena Lovčević

Breastfeeding has demonstrable positive effects on infants’ social and emotional development. This might be due to various behaviors occurring during breastfeeding such as maternal sensitivity and responsiveness to infant’s cues, mutual gaze, and mother-infant symphony. However, these intricate behavioral patterns might be hindered by maternal use of media devices during breastfeeding. Here, I review the recent evidence on maternal use of media devices during breastfeeding and its effects on mother-infant interaction, mother-to-infant bonding, and infant’s attachment. The evidence suggests that media device use during breastfeeding increases maternal distraction and lowers the maternal sensitivity and responsiveness towards an infant, behaviors that are foundational blocks of infant’s social and emotional development.