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. 2021 Jul;26(4):536-550.
doi: 10.1111/infa.12399. Epub 2021 Mar 23.

Paid maternal leave is associated with better language and socioemotional outcomes during toddlerhood

Karina Kozak  1 , Ashley Greaves  1 , Jane Waldfogel  2 , Jyoti Angal  3   4 , Amy J Elliott  3   4 , William P Fifier  5   6   7 , Natalie Hiromi Brito  1
Affiliations

Paid maternal leave is associated with better language and socioemotional outcomes during toddlerhood

Karina Kozak et al. Infancy. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

The United States is the only high-income country that does not have a national policy mandating paid leave to working women who give birth. Increased rates of maternal employment post-birth call for greater understanding of the effects of family leave on infant development. This study examined the links between paid leave and toddler language, cognitive, and socioemotional outcomes (24-36 months; N = 328). Results indicate that paid leave was associated with better language outcomes, regardless of socioeconomic status. Additionally, paid leave was correlated with fewer infant behavior problems for mothers with lower levels of educational attainment. Expanding access to policies that support families in need, like paid family leave, may aid in reducing socioeconomic disparities in infant development.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Significant differences in paid versus unpaid leave found PARCA-R linguistic but not cognitive scores (**p < .01)
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Johnson-Neyman analysis suggests that paid leave is significantly related to lower BITSEA problem scores, but only for mothers with lower levels of education. Variables are categorized here for visualization purposes only
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
There were no associations between the length of maternity leave and toddler developmental outcomes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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