The purpose of the present research was to investigate the role of the fourth dimensional (4D) ultrasound scanning on the antenatal attachment development, in pregnant women (19-23 weeks of gestation) and their partners. A total of 44 couples were asked to complete questionnaires about maternal and paternal antenatal attachment, before the two-dimensional (2D; control group) and 4D (experimental group) ultrasound scanning and 2 weeks later. In the groups of women, our findings underline the progressive increase in antenatal attachment throughout gestation: the mean level of antenatal attachment was significantly different between the first and the second assessment. No significant differences are shown between 2D and 4D ultrasound scanning groups. We do not eliminate the possibility that ultrasound scanning practice would be a helpful and crucial means of investigation for a complete explanation of prenatal attachment (Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978; Fivaz-Depeursinge & Corboz-Warney, 2000) and parental mental representations (Stern, 1987, 1997).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.