The efficacy of Massage+ on mother–infant synchrony in mothers with childhood adversity: A randomized controlled trial.

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

The Massage+ intervention significantly improves multiple dimensions of mother-infant synchrony, including affect, touch, and maternal engagement, in mothers with a history of childhood adversity. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Aleeca F. Bell; Ruth Feldman; Edward J. Bedrick; Julia M. Fisher; C. Sue Carter; Evan L. MacLean; Stacey R. Tecot; Rosemary White-Traut

doi:10.1037/dev0002255

August 31, 2026Developmental PsychologyOpen Access

The efficacy of Massage+ on mother–infant synchrony in mothers with childhood adversity: A randomized controlled trial.

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Key Points

Determine whether the Massage+ intervention improves mother–infant behavioral and emotional synchrony among mothers who experienced childhood adversity.
Randomized controlled trial evaluating mother-infant dyads (N = 162) assigned to Massage+ or a control group.
Assessed co-occurring affect synchrony, touch synchrony, sequential synchrony, and latency to initiate synchrony during mother-infant interactions.
Massage+ dyads exhibited significantly greater co-occurring affect synchrony, touch synchrony, and maternal engagement during periods of elevated infant arousal compared with control dyads.
Intervention dyads demonstrated higher sequential synchrony and a significantly faster time-to-first initiation of synchrony.
In response to infant positive arousal, Massage+ dyads showed greater overall synchrony, faster maternal responsiveness, and more rapid settling into coordinated affective states.

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Implication

Randomized trial reveals improved behavioral and affective synchrony in mothers with childhood adversity and their infants, suggesting enhanced maternal responsiveness to infant emotional cues.

Abstract

= 162). Compared with control dyads, the Massage+ dyads exhibited more co-occurring affect synchrony, touch synchrony, and maternal engagement with high infant arousal synchrony. Massage+ dyads also exhibited more sequential synchrony and faster time-to-first initiation of synchrony. When infants expressed positive arousal, Massage+ dyads were better able to increase the amount of synchrony, coordinate synchrony by mothers immediately responding to their infant's positive cues, and more quickly settle into synchrony. Encouraging positive affect is among the most critical early functions of synchrony. Future research warrants studying long-term benefits of Massage+ when implemented in real-world settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

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Cite This Study

Bell et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9934cf636c6408cfa7c81e https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0002255

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The efficacy of Massage+ on mother–infant synchrony in mothers with childhood adversity: A randomized controlled trial.

Key Points

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Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

The efficacy of Massage+ on mother–infant synchrony in mothers with childhood adversity: A randomized controlled trial.

Key Points

Ask about this paper

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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