Maternal Employment and Child Attachment Security in Urban Families in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

This study investigates the relationship between maternal employment status and attachment security in children aged 12 to 36 months in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. The oil economy of Rivers State has driven high rates of dual-income households, prompting questions about how prolonged maternal absence in infancy affects the development of secure attachment bonds. This research adopted a cross-sectional survey design and recruited 280 mother-infant dyads from paediatric clinics and registered daycare centres across three local government areas. Attachment security was assessed using the Attachment Q-Set, while maternal employment characteristics were captured through a structured demographic questionnaire. Chi-square analysis and binary logistic regression examined the associations between employment patterns and attachment classification. Results reveal that the quality of substitute caregiving and the consistency of daily caregiving routines were more predictive of secure attachment than maternal employment status per se. Infants cared for by trained, responsive caregivers in structured daycare environments exhibited attachment outcomes comparable to those of non-employed mothers. However, infants with multiple inconsistent caregivers across the first year of life showed elevated rates of insecure attachment. The study recommends stricter quality standards for daycare provision in Rivers State and encourages employers to extend maternity benefits to support early bonding. Keywords: maternal employment, attachment security, infants, Port Harcourt, daycare quality.