Correlations among Perceptions and Practice of Taegyo and Maternal-Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the relationships among the perceptions and practice of taegyo (a traditional set of practices and beliefs related to healthy fetal development) and maternal-fetal attachment in pregnant women. Methods: The participants were 136 pregnant women who visited a public health center or maternity hospital for prenatal care. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, analysis of varience, and Pearson correlation coefficients with SPSS version 22.0. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women was 32.24±3.99 years. The mean scores for perceptions of taegyo, practice of taegyo, and maternal-fetal attachment were 3.96±0.53, 3.74±0.64, and 3.94±0.49, respectively. Perceptions of taegyo were significantly correlated with the practice of taegyo (r=.72, p<.001), and maternal-fetal attachment (r=.55, p<.001). A significant correlation was also found between the practice of taegyo and maternal-fetal attachment (r=.65, p<.001). Conclusion: Perceptions of taegyo affected the practice of taegyo, and had a positive effect on maternal-fetal attachment. These findings suggest that primary care nurses at hospitals and public health centers should provide nursing intervention programs to improve the perceptions of taegyo, the practice of taegyo, and maternal-fetal attachment.

Relation between Mother’s Taekyo, Prenatal and Postpartum Depression, and Infant’s Temperament and Colic: A Longitudinal Prospective Approach

“…In our study, taekyo practice showed a significant correlation with mother–fetus interaction, supporting the results of previous studies [ 28 , 29 ]. Taekyo practice recognizes the importance of physical health management and psychological stability for mothers from the prenatal period.…”

“…In our study, MFA did not show a direct correlation with prenatal depression but showed a significant correlation with taekyo practice. These results support previous findings [ 57 ] that prenatal MFA is related to postnatal depression and that MFA is related to taekyo practice [ 28 ]. Therefore, taekyo ought to focus on the practicing mother recognizing the fetus as a lovely being and expressing mutual affection as they progress toward the end stage of pregnancy, rather than focus on the responsibility to be fulfilled for the baby.…”

“…In a previous study, Jang and Bang [ 28 ] reported the association between taekyo practice and MFA ( r = 0.65), and Yu and Kim [ 29 ] found evidence for a reliable correlation between taekyo practice and MFA ( r = 0.71, p < 0.001). The strong effect size between taekyo practice and MFA in the prior study was similar to this study’s results.…”

“…Pregnant women experience emotional exchange with the fetus through various prenatal activities, which leads to the formation of mother–fetus attachment. Maternal–fetal attachment (MFA) is an emotional bond that a pregnant woman has with the fetus; it does not occur spontaneously with the birth of the baby but begins with and continues to develop during pregnancy [ 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”

Effects of probiotics on gastrointestinal symptoms, anthropometric measurements, and breastfeeding duration in infants with colic: a randomized control trial

“…27,28 Excessive crying, which is the most prominent feature of infantile colic, can cause mothers to feel inadequate, decrease breast milk intake, and increase formula use and early transition to additional food. 29,30 All mothers included in our study fed their babies more than 50% breast milk daily. In the first month, four (26.4%) mothers in the control group compared with those in the probiotics group were giving breast milk and formula to their babies.…”