The Relationship between Maternal-Fetal Attachment and Mother-Infant Attachment Behaviors in Primiparous Women Referring to Mashhad Health Care Centers

Background & aim: mother-infant bonding and interactions after childbirth are shaped by maternal-fetal attachment during pregnancy. although many studies have shown the positive correlation between maternal-fetal attachment and mother-infant attachment behaviors, some controversial studies have shown otherwise. therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the correlation between maternal-fetal attachment and mother-infant attachment behaviors in primiparous women. methods:this descriptive correlational study was conducted on 100 primiparous women, referring to the selected heath care centers of mashhad. data were collected using cranley's maternal–fetal attachment scale, avant’s mother-infant attachment tool, edinburgh postnatal depression scale, and a demographic/obstetric questionnaire including demographic data, obstetric information, delivery outcomes, and postpartum data. pregnant women with a gestational age of 35-41 weeks, who met the inclusion criteria, completed cranley's questionnaire, as well as the demographic/obstetric questionnaire. four and eight weeks after delivery, the subjects were asked to complete the edinburgh questionnaire and postpartum information; then, they were asked to breastfeed their infants on a chair in a quiet place for 15 minutes. the researcher observed the mothers’ behaviors toward their neonates. for data analysis, descriptive and analytical tests were performed, using spss version 16. results: there was a direct positive relationship between maternal-fetal attachment and mothers’ emotional behaviors toward infants four and eight weeks after delivery. however, four and eight weeks after childbirth, no significant correlation was found between maternal-fetal attachment and mothers’ caring behaviors. conclusion: according to the findings, maternal-fetal attachment is one of the most important factors for mother-infant attachment. these findings could be applied for enriching mother-infant attachment behaviors during pregnancy.