A Study of the Effects of Behavior Contact in Early Mother-Infant Attachment

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to establish a nursing intervention data base to improve maternal attachment. The first group of mothers(control group), experienced their first physical contact with their infants after being discharged from the hospital. The second group(experimental group) practiced early initial mother-infant postpartum contact known as the most sensitive period for founding maternal-infancy attachment. The subjects of this study gave birth to normal infants at M hospital from Aug.25 to Sept.30, 2004. During the same time, data was collected through direct observation, with instruments designed by Cropley et al., to assess the behaviors of normal attachment. The statistical methods for data analysis were percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-test with an SPSS program. The group practicing initial mother-infant contact, showed a higher degree of physical and functional bonding than the group experiencing the first contact after discharge from the hospital (control group)(p<.01). The group practicing initial mother-infant contact, showed higher degrees of bonding attachment assessments than the group experiencing their first initial contact after their discharge from the hospital(p<.01). The group practicing early mother-infant contact, showed more maternal-infant interaction than the group experiencing their initial contact after their discharge from the hospital. These results show that maternal attachment behavior increases according with an early initial mother-infant contact.