Resistance to fear of child birth and stability of mother-child bond

Figures & data

Figure 1. Two examples of the Pictorial Representation of Attachment Measure (PRAM).

Figure 2. Flowchart. T1: 20-24 weeks of gestation. T2: gestation week 36. T3: 6 weeks postpartum. T4: 6 months postpartum.

Table 1. Biographic characteristics at T1.

Age (M-years, SD)	31.9 n	(4.5) %
Primigravida	332	(59.8)
Multigravida	223	(40.2)
High educational level	372	(67.7)
Medium educational level	166	(30.2)
Low educational level	17	(3.1)
Partner	543	(97.8)

Note: T1: 20–24 weeks of gestation.

Table 2. Pearson's correlations between the PRAM scores at T1–T4.

	T1-PRAM	T2-PRAM	T3-PRAM	T4-PRAM
M	70.4	69.9	70.0	69.9
SD	9.3	8.7	6.7	7.8
N	484	248	203	170
T1-PRAM	1	.264**	.223**	.311**
T2-PRAM		1	.386**	.282**
T3-PRAM			1	.296**
T4-PRAM				1

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). PRAM: Pictorial Representation of Attachment Measure. T1: 20–24 weeks of gestation. T2: 36 weeks of gestation. T3: 6 weeks postpartum. T4: 6 months postpartum.

Table 3. Pearson’s product-moment correlations between fear of childbirth, biographic characteristics, social support and wellbeing of the mother (i.e. maternal depression, distress, somatization) on the one hand and mother-child bonding at T1–T4 on the other.

			T1-PRAM	T2-PRAM	T3-PRAM	T4-PRAM
			n = 484	n = 248	n = 203	n = 170
T1	W-DEQ:	Fear of childbirth	−.071	−.050	−.145*	.041
	4DSQ:	Distress	−.063	−.059	−.110	.064
		Depression	−.051	−.060	−.030	.027
		Somatization	−.030	−.084	−.114	.045
	SSQ:	Social Support	.087	.065	.077	.020
	BC:	Age	−.104*	.066	−.123	−.137
		Education	−.007	−.030	−.030	−.123
		Partner	−.080	.144*	.101	.198**
		Primi−/multigravida	.036	−.059	.011	−.047

*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed).

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). T1: 20–24 weeks of gestation. T2: 36 weeks of gestation. T3: 6 weeks postpartum. T4: 6 months postpartum. W-DEQ: Wijma Delivery/Expectancy Questionnaire. 4DSQ: Four Dimensional Symptom Questionnaire. PRAM: Pictorial Representation of Attachment Measure. SSQ: Social Support Questionnaire. BC: Biopraphiccharacteristics.