Pre-natal Attachment and Parent-To-Infant Attachment: A Systematic Review

Abstract

During the perinatal period, the establishment of the attachment relationship with the fetus and subsequently with the real child is crucial for the parents' and the child's well-being. Coherently with the assumption that the attachment relationship starts to develop during pregnancy, this systematic review aims to analyze and systematize studies focused on the association between pre-natal attachment and parent-to-infant attachment, in order to clarify the emerging results and provide useful information for clinical purposes. Nineteen studies were included. Sixteen researches identified a positive relationship between pre-natal attachment and parent-to-infant attachment, and three articles highlighted a negative association between antenatal attachment and post-partum bonding disorders. These results were found both in women and men, in normative and at-risk pregnancies, adopting different assessment approaches (i.e., self-report measures, observations, and projective measures). However, only small or moderate associations were found. Future studies are needed to further confirm these findings across different populations (e.g., male samples, non-normative samples or samples in disadvantaged conditions) and with different methodological approaches (e.g., observational measures). Moreover, studies would be needed in order to clarify mechanisms through which pre-natal attachment influences parent-to-infant attachment, as well as protective and risk factors which intervene between these two variables.

Associations of Maternal-Infant Bonding with Maternal Mental Health, Infant’s Characteristics and Socio-Demographical Variables in the Early Postpartum Period: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…First, the generalizability of the study findings is limited due to the small sample size and the fact that the study was conducted within one medical unit; thus, the obtained data should be interpreted cautiously. The establishment of a tie between a mother and child in the early postpartum period is a complex phenomenon [76]. In bonding theory, skin-to-skin contact serves mostly to enhance parental feelings, thoughts, and behaviors towards the baby.…”

Does Parental Reflective Functioning Mediate the Associations between the Maternal Antenatal and Postnatal Bond with the Child in a Community Sample?

“…Although the relationship between the mother and child is a process that begins at least during pregnancy, to date research has mainly focused on postpartum mother–infant interactions [ 15 , 16 ]. Recent reviews that have explored the associations between pre- and postnatal bonding have highlighted that the complex pathways likely to exist in these associations are still unclear [ 2 , 15 , 17 ]. Considering other factors, such as parental mentalization, could provide a deeper understanding of the variables that influence the establishment of the maternal affective tie with the fetus and subsequently with the newborn [ 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…Recent reviews have explored the associations between pre- and postnatal bonding [ 2 , 15 , 17 ]. Overall, prospective studies show that MFB is a precursor of postnatal bonding in the early postpartum period.…”

Early-life maternal attachment and risky health behaviours in adolescence: findings from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study

“…Emotional ties experienced by mothers to infants, or MA, can characterise how sensitive caregivers are to meeting infant needs [ 25 ]. Other terms such as “mother-to-infant bonding” or “mother-to-infant attachment” are also used in the literature to describe this relationship [ 26 ]. Related to this concept is “attachment”, where infants have an innate biological need to seek parental caregiving responses and reassurance in stressful situations, first described by Bowlby in 1969 [ 27 ].…”