Manifest anxiety and maternal–fetal attachment in pregnant women with previous fetal losses.

Kelmanson, Igor A.

To explore associations between manifest anxiety (Taylor's Manifest Anxiety Scale, TMAS), major obstetric and demographic features and maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) (Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale, MAAS) in women with previous miscarriages. One hundred pregnant women with previous miscarriages, having uncomplicated singleton pregnancy, not receiving any medications, and conceived in a natural manner. Ages ranged between 19 and 47 years, gestational age between 4 and 35 weeks. Hierarchical multiple linear regression, Kruskal–Wallis test, and ANCOVA were used in data analysis. Maternal age, gestational age, previous abortions, parity, maternal education, and marital status in combination contributed significantly to the regression model in prediction of the MAAS quality and intensity scores. Adding the TMAS score accounted for an additional 17% of variation in the MAAS quality score, and the change in R2 was significant. There was a negative relationship between the TMAS and the MAAS quality scores. The TMAS score did not contribute to prediction of the MAAS intensity. The highest TMAS values were in the women having anxious, ambivalent or affectless preoccupation. Prevention of negative consequences of poor quality of MFA in women with previous miscarriages should include early screening for manifest anxiety.

KRUSKAL-Wallis Test; MATERNAL health services; MISCARRIAGE; MULTIPLE regression analysis; PREGNANT women; GESTATIONAL age; REGRESSION analysis; MEDICAL screening; PRENATAL bonding; PERINATAL death; ANALYSIS of covariance; MATERNAL age; PARITY (Obstetrics); DESCRIPTIVE statistics; ANXIETY; DEMOGRAPHY; MARITAL status; PREDICTION models; WOMEN'S health; EARLY diagnosis

Journal of Reproductive & Infant Psychology, 2024, Vol 42, Issue 1, p45

0264-6838

Academic Journal

10.1080/02646838.2022.2056882