Association between parental alexithymic traits and self-reported postnatal reflective functioning in a birth cohort population. Findings from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study.

•Alexithymic traits are associated with lower parental reflective functioning in both mothers and fathers.•The specific alexithymia dimension responsible for the association between alexithymic traits and parental reflective functioning is suggested to be Externally Oriented Thinking.•Since parental alexithymia has not been widely studied, more studies are needed to more firmly establish the association between alexithymia and early parental reflective functioning.