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Prenatal attachment in pregnancy following assisted reproductive technology: a literature review
Fahimeh Ranjbar1, J Catja Warmelink2,3,4, Maryam Gharacheh1
1Nursing Care Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Prenatal attachment in pregnancies conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) is generally similar or higher compared to natural conception. Focus support on pregnancy anxiety, not attachment interventions, for ART couples.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Medicine
- Psychology
- Perinatal Health
Background:
- Prenatal attachment impacts postpartum relationships and parental adjustment.
- Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) may influence prenatal attachment, but findings are inconsistent.
- Understanding attachment in ART pregnancies is crucial for perinatal mental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and summarize existing literature on prenatal attachment in pregnancies resulting from Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).
- To evaluate the impact of fertility treatments on the development of prenatal attachment.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations for supporting couples undergoing ART.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies published between 1990-2019.
- Comprehensive search across major databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, Scopus) and Google Scholar.
- Inclusion of 15 studies meeting predefined criteria, assessed using the STROBE checklist.
Main Results:
- The majority of couples conceiving via ART exhibited prenatal attachment levels comparable to or exceeding those conceiving naturally.
- Findings challenge the assumption that infertility and ART negatively impact prenatal attachment.
- No significant detriments in prenatal attachment were observed in ART-conceived pregnancies.
Conclusions:
- Prenatal attachment in ART pregnancies is not negatively affected by fertility treatments.
- ART-conceived couples may experience heightened anxiety regarding pregnancy loss.
- Support interventions should prioritize managing pregnancy-related anxiety in ART couples.
Abstract:
Objective: To summarise the literature on prenatal attachment in pregnancies following Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).Background: Prenatal attachment can predict the quality of the postpartum parent-infant relationship and is linked to perinatal mental health of the parents and their adjustment to the parental role. It might be expected prenatal attachment will be influenced by fertility treatment such as ART, but there are contradictory results.Methods: In this review, studies with a cross-sectional and longitudinal design, published in 1990-2019 were included. A search was conducted in MEDLINE/PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science and Scopus, and using the Google Scholar search engine. A total of 17 articles were found which met the inclusion criteria and after these articles were reviewed using the STROBE-checklist, 15 articles were included in the study.Results: In most couples who conceived following ART, the level of prenatal attachment was either similar to or higher than in couples who conceive without ART.Conclusions: The findings challenge the idea that infertility problems affect attachment in pregnancies following ART. However, ART- couples may be more susceptible to anxiety due to pregnancy loss and support may be better focused on the pregnancy-related anxiety in these couples rather than any attachment intervention.
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