Infant Attachment to Mother and Child Caretaker in an East African Community

Abstract

Child rearing among the Gusii of Kenya is distinctive in that (a) infants are routinely cared for by both mothers and child caretakers, and (b) infant-mother interaction is primarily limited to activities which provide for the infant's physical needs, whereas infant-caretaker interaction is primarily limited to play and social activities. In this study a separation/reunion paradigm and Ainsworth classification procedures were used to assess security of attachment in a sample of Gusii infants 8 to 27 months of age. The proportion of infants classified as securely attached to mother and caretaker was 61% and 54%, respectively. Although the establishment of a secure relationship was not affected by differences between infant-mother and infant-caretaker activities, correlates of attachment security were specific to each. Whereas attachment to mother was related to nutritional status, attachment to the caretaker was related to Bayley MDI performance. These findings suggest that the pervasive association between security of attachment and infant functioning in American studies is a reflection of the diversity of activities in which infants and mothers engage.