maternal deprivation John Bowlby's term for the absence of the maternal care considered necessary for later mental health. Subsequent research sought to specify child-care requirements–such as love, attachment, and stimulation–and the respective effects of their lack or distortion. Feminists denounce the idea for its ideological role in subordinating women to motherhood; others attack its imprecision.

maternal deprivation (mă-ter-năl) n. the condition said to result if infants are deprived of the opportunity to form a close relationship with a single parental figure, who may or may not be the child's natural parent. It is characterized by distress and depression, leading to an inability to form lasting relationships.

deprivation, maternal See MATERNAL DEPRIVATION.