Anxiety and its Relationship with Maternal - Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Womenin Southeast of Iran

Farokh Abazari*, Batool Pouraboli**, Pooneh Tavakoli***, Mohammadreza Aflatoonian****, Mehri Kohan*****
* Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
** Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatric and Neonatal, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
*** MSC in NICU Nursing, Nursing and Midwifery,Kerman, Iran.
**** Assistant Professor, Research Center for Tropical and Infectious Disease, Kerman, Iran.
***** Lecturer, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman, Iran.
Periodicity:August - October'2017
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.7.3.13788

Abstract

Pregnancy is an important spiritual experience that causes many psychological changes in pregnant women. Attachment is a stable emotional relationship between the mother and her fetus. In other words, anxious disorders are common in pregnancy and they may lead to side effects on mother and the fetus. The present research aims to study the relationship between anxiety and maternal-fetal attachment. This descriptive- analytic study was conducted in Kerman in 2014. The subjects were 360 pregnant women and they were chosen by simple sampling. Data has been analyzed using anxiety questionnaire of Spielberger, Cranley's maternal-fetal attachment questionnaire and SPSS version 20 (SPSS-Statistical Package for Social Science). The mean score of overt and covert anxiety in pregnant women was average and the mean score of attachment was high. There was a direct and significant relationship between maternal-fetal attachment and anxiety (p < 0.05, r= 0.283). Results showed that there is a direct relationship between anxiety and maternal-fetal attachment such that concern of fetal abnormality and abortion is followed by increase of attachment in addition to increasing amount of anxiety. It seems that psychological advices are required to keep the balance between anxiety and attachment particularly in pregnancy.

Keywords

Anxiety, Maternal-Fetal Attachment, Pregnancy.

How to Cite this Article?

Abazari,F., Pouraboli, B., Tavakoli,P., Aflatoonian ,M., Kohan,M. (2017). Anxiety and its Relationship with Maternal-Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women in Southeast of Iran. i-manager’s Journal on Nursing, 7(3), 16-27. https://doi.org/10.26634/jnur.7.3.13788

References

[1]. Abasi, E., Tafazoli, M., & Esmaeili, H. (2010). The effect of foetal movement counting on primipara maternal foetal attachment. [Article in Persian]. J. Mazandaran Univ. Med. Sci., 20(77), 53-60.
[2]. Abedinia, N., zadeh, F. R., & Aghsa, M. M. (2003). Relationship between the length of infertility and anxiety and depression. Hayat, 17(3), 69-79.
[3]. Alhusen, J. L., Gross, D., Hayat, M. J., & Sharps, P. W. (2012). The influence of maternal–fetal attachment and health practices on neonatal outcomes in low-income, urban women. Research in Nursing & Health, 35(2), 112- 120.
[4]. Amiri, F. N., Mohamadpour, R., Salmalian, H., & Ahmadi, A. (2010). The association between prenatal anxiety and spontaneous preterm birth and low birth weight. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 12(6), 650- 654.
[5]. Arai, Y. C., Ueda, W., Ushida, T., Kandatsu, N., Ito, H., & Komatsu, T. (2009). Increased heart rate variability correlation between mother and child immediately preoperation. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 53(5), 607-610.
[6]. Azizi, M., Lamyian, M., Faghihzade, S., & Nematollahzade, M. (2010). The effect of counseling on anxiety after traumatic childbirth in nulliparous women; a single blind randomized clinical trial. Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (J. Kermanshah Univ. Med. Sci.), 14(3), 219-227.
[7]. Bernstein, J., Lewis, J., & Seibel, M. (1994). Effect of previous infertility on maternal–fetal attachment, coping styles, and self-concept during pregnancy. Journal of Women's Health, 3(2), 125-133.
[8]. Cannella, B. L. (2005). Maternal–fetal attachment: An integrative review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 50(1), 60- 68.
[9]. Chanachote, S. (2007). Spousal Support and Maternal-fetal Attachment in Pregnant Industrial Workers, (Doctoral Dissertation, Mahidol University).
[10]. Cheung, W., Ip, W.-Y., & Chan, D. (2007). Maternal anxiety and feelings of control during labour: A study of Chinese first-time pregnant women. Midwifery, 23(2), 123- 130.
[11]. Cranley, M. S. (1981). Development of a tool for the measurement of maternal attachment during pregnancy. Nursing Research, 30(5), 281-284.
[12]. Davis, E. (2004). Heart and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth: Random House Digital, Inc.
[13]. Dunkel-Schetter, C. (1998). Maternal stress and preterm delivery. Prenatal and Neonatal Medicine, 3, 39- 42.
[14]. Jamshidimanesh, M., Astaraki, L., Behboodi Moghadam, Z., Taghizadeh, Z., & Haghani, H. (2013). Maternal-fetal attachment and its associated factors. Journal of Hayat, 18(5), 33-45.
[15]. Karaçam, Z., & Ançel, G. (2009). Depression, anxiety and influencing factors in pregnancy: A study in a Turkish population. Midwifery, 25(4), 344-356.
[16]. Khoramrody, R. (2000). The effect of mothers touch on maternal fetal attachment. [Theses in Persian]. Tehran: Iran University of Medical Sciences.
[17]. Lee, A. M., Lam, S. K., Lau, S. M. S. M., Chong, C. S. Y., Chui, H. W., & Fong, D. Y. T. (2007). Prevalence, course, and risk factors for antenatal anxiety and depression. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 110(5), 1102-1112.
[18]. Madhavanprabhakaran, G. K., D'Souza, M. S., & Nairy, K. S. (2015). Prevalence of pregnancy anxiety and associated factors. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 3, 1-7.
[19]. Maltby, J., Day, L., McCutcheon, L. E., Gillett, R., Houran, J., & Ashe, D. D. (2004). Personality and coping: A context for examining celebrity worship and mental health. British Journal of Psychology, 95(4), 411-428.
[20]. McFarland, J., Salisbury, A. L., Battle, C. L., Hawes, K., Halloran, K., & Lester, B. M. (2011). Major depressive disorder during pregnancy and emotional attachment to the fetus. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 14(5), 425- 434.
[21]. Mehraban, Z., Alizadeh, L., & Narimani, M. (2013). Maternal Prenatal Pregnancy-related Anxiety and Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Ardebil Health Centers in 2011. Urmia Medical Journal, 23(6), 670-675.
[22]. Mi-Kyung, K., & Kyung-Sook, B. (2011). Relationship of Prenatal Stress and Depression to Maternal-Fetal Attachment and Fetal Growth. Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing, 41(2), 276-283.
[23]. Möhler, E., Parzer, P., Brunner, R., Wiebel, A., & Resch, F. (2006). Emotional stress in pregnancy predicts human infant reactivity. Early Human Development, 82(11), 731- 737.
[24]. Mulder, E., De Medina, P. R., Huizink, A., Van den Bergh, B., Buitelaar, J., & Visser, G. (2002). Prenatal maternal stress: Effects on pregnancy and the (unborn) child. Early Human Development, 70(1), 3-14.
[25]. Nerum, H., Halvorsen, L., Sørlie, T., & Øian, P. (2006). Maternal request for cesarean section due to fear of birth: Can it be changed through crisis-oriented counseling? Birth, 33(3), 221-228.
[26]. Ossa, X., Bustos, L., & Fernandez, L. (2012). Prenatal attachment and associated factors during the third trimester of pregnancy in Temuco, Chile. Midwifery, 28(5), e689-e696.
[27]. Taavoni, S., Ahadi, M., Ganji, T., & Hosseini, F. (2008). Comparison of maternal fetal attachment between primgravidas and multigravidas women with past history of fetal or neonatal death. Iran Journal of Nursing, 21(53), 53- 61.
[28]. Teixeira, C., Figueiredo, B., Conde, A., Pacheco, A., & Costa, R. (2009). Anxiety and depression during pregnancy in women and men. Journal of Affective Disorders, 119(1), 142-148.
[29]. Toosi, M., Akbarzadeh, M., Zare, N., & Sharif, F. (2011). Effect of attachment training on anxiety and attachment behaviors of first-time mothers. Journal of Hayat, 17(3), 69- 79.
[30]. Toosi, M., Akbarzadeh, M., Zarei, N., & Sharif, F. (2011). The effective of bonding behaviour on anxiety of mothers in first pregnancy. Hayat, 17(3), 69-79.
[31]. Torshizi, M., & Sharifzadeh, G. (2013). Maternal-fetal attachment and associated factors in pregnant women referred to Birjand health centers (2012). Journal of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, 20(3), 279-287.
[32]. Ustunsoz, A., Guvenc, G., Akyuz, A., & Oflaz, F. (2010). Comparison of maternal–and paternal–fetal attachment in Turkish couples. Midwifery, 26(2), e1-e9.
[33]. Wilson, M. E., White, M. A., Cobb, B., Curry, R., Greene, D., & Popovich, D. (2000). Family dynamics, parental-fetal attachment and infant temperament. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 31(1), 204-210.
[34]. Wu, J. H. L., & Eichmann, M. A. (1988). Fetal sex identification and prenatal bonding. Psychological Reports, 63(1), 199-202.
[35]. Yali, A. M., & Lobel, M. (2002). Stress-resistance resources and coping in pregnancy. Anxiety, Stress & Coping, 15(3), 289-309.
[36]. Yarcheski, A., Mahon, N. E., Yarcheski, T. J., Hanks, M. M., & Cannella, B. L. (2009). A meta-analytic study of predictors of maternal-fetal attachment. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46(5), 708-715.
If you have access to this article please login to view the article or kindly login to purchase the article

Purchase Instant Access

Single Article

North Americas,UK,
Middle East,Europe
India Rest of world
USD EUR INR USD-ROW
Online 15 15

Options for accessing this content:
  • If you would like institutional access to this content, please recommend the title to your librarian.
    Library Recommendation Form
  • If you already have i-manager's user account: Login above and proceed to purchase the article.
  • New Users: Please register, then proceed to purchase the article.