Maternal attachment is an important component of maternal identity and the basis of the development of adaptation to the maternal role. An unhealthy attachment between mother and baby, which begins in the early years, may lead to adverse effects on the individual throughout his/her life. Therefore, it is important to determine the factors that may affect the bond between mother and baby. In this study, we aimed to determine prenatal attachment and related factors among pregnant women living in Sanliurfa, Turkey. A total of 109 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy constituted the sample of this cross-sectional study. The study data were collected by face-to-face interviews using the Data Collection Form, Traumatic Childbirth Perception Scale (TCPS), and Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI). In the study, the mean prenatal attachment score was 44.4 ± 10.3 and a moderately negative relationship was found between prenatal attachment and the number of living children, while a weakly positive relationship was found with the number of prenatal follow up. These results show that antenatal follow-ups are effective in the development and enhancement of prenatal attachment.
Key words: Pregnancy, prenatal attachment, traumatic birth perception, mother-baby attachment.
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