Adult attachment and its relationship to perinatal bonding: a longitudinal survey

Maternal adult attachment may be associated with maternal-fetal and maternal-infant bonding during the perinatal period. However, longitudinal studies examining adult attachment and bonding from pregnancy to the postpartum period are limited. This study examined the association between maternal adult attachment and bonding to the fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy and maternal-infant bonding one month after childbirth. A longitudinal questionnaire survey was conducted at two time points: the third trimester of pregnancy and one month after childbirth. A total of 259 mothers (mean age = 31.3 ± 4.9 years) who responded at both time points were included. The Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) measured prenatal bonding, the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) measured postpartum bonding difficulties, and the Relationship Questionnaire (RQ) measured adult attachment. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted with prenatal bonding or postpartum bonding difficulties as the dependent variable and related factors as independent variables. Age, other attributes, adaptation to the social aspects of pregnancy, and depression were used as covariates. In the Adult Attachment RQ score model, higher secure scores were significantly associated with higher prenatal bonding (β = 0.172, p = .008). In the Adult Attachment RQ category model, a preoccupied style was significantly associated with lower prenatal bonding (β = −0.170, p = .012). In the postpartum model, higher secure RQ scores were significantly associated with lower postpartum bonding difficulties (β = −0.137, p = .032). In the final model, higher prenatal bonding was significantly associated with lower postpartum bonding difficulties (β = −0.170, p = .009), whereas RQ secure scores were no longer statistically significant. Both adult attachment and prenatal bonding were associated with postpartum bonding. Assessment of the Adult Attachment RQ may help identify mothers who may be at risk for bonding difficulties from pregnancy through the postpartum period.