A longitudinal study of parental attachment: pre- and postnatal study with couples

ABSTRACT

Objective: To identify factors associated with parental pre- and postnatal attachment to a child.

Background: Establishing a relationship with a child is one of the most important parental tasks during pregnancy. Studies examining the determinants of parental attachment have focused mostly on mothers and prenatal period.

Methods: Couples awaiting their first child were recruited for a prospective study, with the first stage (3rd trimester of pregnancy) and the second (after delivery). Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires: MAAS/PAAS, MPAS/PPAS by Condon; KPR-Roc M/O by Plopa; EPDS by Cox et al. and the PRAM by Vreeswijk et al.

Results: The most important factors for prenatal maternal attachment included depressiveness, an accepting mother’s attitude and the partner’s relationship; whereas postpartum depressiveness and prenatal maternal attachment were important for postnatal maternal attachment. For men, partner’s depressiveness, an inconsistent and over-protecting mother’s attitude and a declaration of attendance at birth predicted their relationship with the child during pregnancy, and prenatal paternal attachment for the period after childbirth.

Conclusions: The determinants of parental attachment to a child differ for men and women. The most important prenatally are depressiveness, attitudes of their own parents recorded from childhood, while prenatal attachment to a child is most significant postnatally.

KEYWORDS:

• Parental attachment
• prenatal
• postnatal
• depressiveness
• intergenerational transmission

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to Professor Wiesław Szymczak for his assistance with statistical analyses.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.