A leading psychotherapist has warned that mothers who return to work too soon after having babies are damaging their children's mental health.

In a video for the New York Post, Erica Komisar revealed how she's seen an 'epidemic level of mental disorders in very young children', which she puts down to the 'devaluing of mothering in society'.

The author of Being There, Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters explained that babies experience a rush of cortisol and a great deal of stress when they're away from their mothers.

She argued that when working women return from work in the evenings they spend as little as 90 minutes with their babies before they put them to bed - and then find that they don't sleep through the night as they're craving attention.

'Our society tells women go back to work, do what you want, they'll be ok,' she explained. 'But they're not OK.

Psychotherapist Erica Komisar revealed how she's seen an 'epidemic level of mental disorders in very young children' whose mothers leave them to go to work (stock image)

'I was seeing it in my parent guidance practice. I was actually seeing an epidemic level of mental disorders in very young children who were being diagnosed and medicated at an earlier and earlier age.

'I started looking at the research which backed up what I was seeing in my practice, which is that the absence of mothers on a daily basis in children's lives was impacting their mental health.

Referencing research on attachment that's been done since the '60s, she said the only thing that reduces stress for babies is when their mothers return.

The author advised working women to put aside all distractions when bonding with their children in the evening and to keep them up late to maximise time together

'I still say daycare is my least favourite option,' she said. 'You're taking a very young baby and exposing them to a great deal of stimulation and a great deal of fear.

'When you take them out of their immediate environment and put them in a group with a lot of stimulation and a lot of people that's not the natural environment for babies.'

If you are away from your child during the day, Erica suggested two key strategies in the evening to try and offset some of the damage.

She said that all distractions should be 'put in a basket', so that you don't look at phones, tablets or other gadgets while spending time with your child.

The psychotherapist said that motherhood must become more valued by society

And she said that mothers should keep their babies up later in the evenings instead of coming home at 6pm and putting them to bed at 7.30.

'Let them stay up much later,' she advised. '90 minutes a day is not enough to provide children with emotional security, regulate their emotions and buffer them from stress.'

Erica did not put the blame on women for feeling forced to return to work, arguing that the role of motherhood is not values by society.

'The ideal maternity leave would be one year of fully paid leave for all women of all backgrounds,' she said.

'When we give mothers the option of being home in the first three years we increase the emotional security and reduce mental disorders.

'On a societal level we need to recognise mothers work is valuable work. We emphasise material success and professional achievement, but there is no more valuable or more important work.'

Being There: Why Prioritizing Motherhood in the First Three Years Matters is available from amazon.co.uk