Pregnant Women’s Cognitive Concept concerning Their Unborn prior to Prenatal Diagnosis

Abstract

Objective: We examined pregnant women’s expectations concerning their unborn babies prior to prenatal diagnosis and also the possible correlations with emotional characteristics such as anxiety and depression. Methods: The consecutive sampling consisted of 324 pregnant women presenting themselves between the 11th and 29th weeks of pregnancy for detection of foetal anomalies. The pregnant women noted their thoughts and expectations concerning their unborn using a choice of 18 adjectives in a 5-point Likert scale in a standardized questionnaire. Anxiety was recorded with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and depression with a depression scale. Results: By means of factor analysis (analysis of the main components by varimax rotation), it was possible to determine 4 factors (inherent value criterion >1) from the 18 items (adjectives). Those 4 factors indicate a total of 58.3% of the variance. The first factor scale, well-being, is characterized by 4 items, ‘happy’, ‘glad’, ‘carefree’ and ‘light-hearted’. The second factor scale, nervous, is identified mainly by the items ‘fidgety’, ‘excitable’, ‘restless’ and ‘excited’. The third factor scale, passive, is marked by the items ‘anxious’, ‘disheartened’ and ‘sleepy’. The fourth factor scale, vulnerable, is indicated by 3 items, ‘in need of protection’, ‘vulnerable’ and ‘clinging’. Scales 1, 2 and 3 gave evidence of significant correlations with trait intensity in the state and trait anxiety scale and in the scale for the assessment of depressive mood prior to prenatal diagnosis and state anxiety after prenatal diagnosis. Conclusion: The individual characteristics and attributes of the unborn child are differentiated prior to prenatal diagnosis. There is most certainly a link between the well-being of the pregnant woman and the effect it has on the emotional characteristics of her unborn child.

The effect of stress and anxiety associated with maternal prenatal diagnosis on feto-maternal attachment

“…However the BAI gives no indication of a woman's underlying 'trait' anxiety. Kowalcek et al found that women who had an increased trait anxiety score were more likely to have an increased state anxiety score after an invasive test [47]. The recently developed Beck Anxiety Inventory-Trait (BAIT) may be a useful survey instrument for future research [48].…”

Factors Affecting Maternal Fetal Attachment among Low and High Risk Pregnant Women

“…For that the prenatal period is a good chance for evaluating maternal-fetal attachment. (Atashi et al, 2018) Pregnancy is considered a vital and critical period in life as all of the pregnant mothers' behaviors, actions and thoughts could have more permanent effects on their fetuses than any other period of child's life (Kowalcek & Gembruch 2008) Moreover it is the period of development, therefore it is necessary to evaluate mother's attachment to her fetus more accurately. For that studying attachment during pregnancy would provide us a chance to learn more about this process, and studying this issue would help us understand and cope with the psychological problems during and after pregnancy.…”

O apego materno-fetal e a ansiedade da gestante

“…A simples suspeita de uma malformação no feto ocasiona uma tensão psicológica para a mulher grávida e a ansiedade costuma acompanhar o período de diagnóstico (Kowalcek, 2007;Kowalcek & Gembruch, 2008;Kowalcek et al, 2003;Kowalcek, Mühlhoff, Bachmann, & Gembruch, 2002;Sahin & Gungor, 2008). O diagnóstico de uma malformação fetal desperta uma vivência psicológica de desilusão e descrença que suscita nos pais a o processo de luto pelo filho ideal (Caron & Maltz, 1994).…”