Maternal foetal attachment and personality during first pregnancy

Abstract

This study aims to apply and modify an inventory measuring maternal foetal attachment (MFAS) for use in a Swedish population, and to relate these data to personality traits measured by the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). Previously, we found changes in women's personality traits at childbirth. The attachment and personality profiles were studied in women expecting their first child at the 13th (n=50, response rate 87%) and 36th week of gestation (n=50, response rate 76%). The scores on the total MFAS were high, significantly higher for women tested in the later phase of pregnancy (p<0.01). A factor analysis revealed a four‐factor structure (‘visualizing motherhood’, ‘wonder and worry’, ‘nourishing self and foetus’, and ‘relation to foetus and own body’), not replicating the five a priori factors of Cranley. Linear regression analyses showed positive correlation between the total attachment score and the tendency to feel ‘guilt’ and the desire for ‘social desirability’ as reflected by the KSP. Attachment subscales showed a positive correlation with ‘somatic anxiety’, ‘guilt’, ‘psychasthenia’, ‘social desirability’, ‘inhibited aggression’ and phase of pregnancy. Negative correlation with ‘psychic anxiety’ and ‘emotional detachment’ was found. These findings are, to our knowledge, a fairly new contribution to the literature on maternal foetal attachment.