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.
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.