[Prenatal bonding and effect of recalled maternal overprotection in its development]

Explore the relationship between the recalled bond of pregnant women to their own mothers and the development of prenatal attachment.

Women with a single-fetal pregnancy who consulted the outpatient service of the maternity "C" ward of the center of maternity and neonatology of Tunis and had perceived fetal movements were included. Maternal-fetal attachment was assessed by the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) was used to evaluate experienced bond to mother. Socio demographic and clinical data were collected on a pre-established form.

Eighty respondents were retained from 95 recruited pregnant women. Their ages ranged from 19 to 44 with an average of 32 years. The rate of primiparity was of 28.7 % and half of pregnancies were identified at risk. The mean score of PAI was 55.3 (ET=10.79). Means scores of PBI "care" dimension and "overprotection" dimension were respectively of 26.26 (ET=5.82) and 17 (ET=6.38). The four types of maternal bonding according to the PBI scores were distributed as follow: affectionate constraint (31.3 %), affectionless control (35 %), optimal bonding (21.3 %) and weak bonding (12.5 %). The two PBI dimensions "care" and "overprotection" were significantly and negatively correlated (P<0.05). The PAI scores were not correlated with the PBI "care" dimension scores but were significantly and negatively correlated with the "overprotection" dimension scores (P<0.,01). In order to better explore this association, the "overprotection" dimension scores were studied according to the 21 items of the PAI. A negative and significant correlation was found only with three of the PAI items: item 12 (P<0;01), 15, and 20 (P<0;05).

Our findings suggest that pregnant women whose mothers showed more overprotective and controlling behaviors could be at risk of developing a weak maternofetal attachment. Further research is needed.