Stress and maternal-fetal attachment of pregnant women during their third trimester.

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the maternal-fetal attachment, pregnancy stress and life-event stress of women during their third trimester and to explore the predictors of the maternal-fetal attachment. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 150 subjects from two hospitals in Kaohsiung. Four instruments were used to collect data: (a) the Demographic Data Questionnaire, (b) the Modified Maternal Fetal Attachment Scale, (c) The Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale, and (d) the Assessment Chart for Stressful Events of Adult Life. Factor analysis of the Modified Maternal Fetal Attachment scale defined four factors: (1) interacting with the fetus, (2) giving of self, (3) identifying the fetus, and (4) fantasizing. Results of the stepwise multiple regression indicated that the best subsets to predict the criterion variable of maternal-fetal attachment, including parity, attendance of prenatal class, stress from seeking safe passage for herself and her child through pregnancy, and the life-event stress, accounted for 32% of variance.