Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 19, 2026
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Published on: September 18, 2025
A longitudinal study of parental attachment: pre- and postnatal study with couples
Dominika Fijałkowska1, Eleonora Bielawska-Batorowicz1
1Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Lodz , Lodz, Poland.
Insights
Parental attachment to a child is influenced by different factors for mothers and fathers. Prenatal attachment is key for postnatal bonding, with maternal mental health and parental attitudes playing significant roles.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Parent-Child Relationships
Background:
- Establishing a strong parental bond with a child is a critical developmental task during pregnancy.
- Existing research on parental attachment determinants primarily focuses on mothers and the prenatal period.
- This study investigates factors influencing both prenatal and postnatal attachment in couples expecting their first child.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key factors associated with parental attachment during the prenatal and postnatal periods.
- To explore gender-specific determinants of attachment in expectant mothers and fathers.
- To understand the interplay between prenatal and postnatal attachment in first-time parents.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study recruiting couples in their third trimester of pregnancy.
- Utilized validated questionnaires including the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale/Paternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS/PAAS), Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale/Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale (MPAS/PPAS), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).
- Assessed parental attitudes, depressiveness, and relationship dynamics throughout pregnancy and postpartum.
Main Results:
- For mothers, prenatal attachment was linked to lower depressiveness, accepting parental attitudes, and partner relationship quality. Postnatal attachment was influenced by postpartum depressiveness and prenatal attachment.
- For fathers, prenatal attachment was predicted by partner's depressiveness, parental attitudes, and birth attendance plans. Prenatal paternal attachment predicted postnatal attachment.
- Key prenatal factors included depressiveness and childhood parental attitudes, while prenatal attachment was most significant for postnatal bonding.
Conclusions:
- Determinants of parental attachment differ significantly between mothers and fathers.
- Maternal mental health and parental upbringing experiences are crucial prenatal factors.
- Prenatal attachment is a strong predictor of postnatal attachment for both parents.
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.
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