What can harm thoughts be about?

In the research focusing on infant-related harm thoughts, mums have reported accidental harm thoughts. These include thoughts of suffocation, the baby falling/ being dropped from a height, illness, contamination, neglect (i.e. forgetting the baby in the car), sexual abuse by another, drowning, burns and animal attacks.

Mums have also reported intentional harm thoughts. These include thoughts of screaming at, shaking or smothering the baby, intentionally leaving the baby in the sun too long, poking the baby’s eyes or throwing the baby out of the window.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, parents experience intentional harm thoughts as more distressing than accidental ideation of harm. Intentional harm thoughts are also more likely to occur in the context of increased parental stress, for example, the baby crying for long periods, or when mums feel frustrated with or sad about their interactions with their baby. Intentional harm thoughts are reported more by first-time mums, and have been found to increase in the second month of a baby’s life (when infant crying can reach its peak). Those who feel unsupported by others as a mum are also more likely to experience intentional harm thoughts.