Maternity leave is beneficial for infants in the first few months of life, where leave time is linked to better quality of mother-child interactions as well as increased attachment security for the infant.

Research has shown that when mothers are supported in the workplace to nurse their babies, their infants have lower rates of acute infant, chronic illnesses and the likelihood to have a variety of infections decreases. Moreover, mothers who breastfeed for 12 months experience a reduced incidence of Type 2 diabetes and lifetime risk of breast cancer.

In the United States, the implementation of paid-leave policies resulted in a 20 percent reduction in the number of women leaving their jobs in the first year after childbirth.

A study in Sweden found that fathers who took paternity leave in early parenthood were at lower risk for mortality during the next two decades, possibly due to the adoption of caring roles during infancy and the tandem development of health promotion attitudes. Extended paternity leave enables fathers to be more involved in the early years, supporting children to have better developmental outcomes, potentially leading to less behavioral problems and improved cognitive and mental health.

Research has shown that a parent-friendly workplace committed to supporting families with young children can reduce parenting stress and promote wellbeing. Paid leave also relieves some of the financial burden that comes with childbirth or adoption and contributes to help reduce relationship dissatisfaction among couples.