maasumeh kaviani

Women’s physical and mental health and their mortality at reproductive age depend on fertility behaviors, delivery, and its complications. Unintended pregnancy is a risk to the life of women at reproductive age. The present study aimed to compare maternal and neonatal attachment in intended and unintended pregnancies after the mother and baby skin-to-skin contact immediately after delivery (first hour) and 24 hours after that.

This analytical case-control study was performed on 140 women who gave birth in the hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The subjects were categorized into groups of intended and unintended pregnancy. Skin-to-skin contact of the mother and baby was done for 15 minutes in the recovery room at the first hour and 24 hours after birth. Then, the Avant’s questionnaire of mother-infant attachment behaviors was completed. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver.13.

The mean (SD) attachment score in the first hours in intended pregnancy was 84.22 (12.59), which was higher than that in unintended pregnancy 74.28 (15.81), indicating a significant difference. However, after 24 hours of delivery, there was no significant difference between the two groups. During the first hours after delivery, there was a significant difference in the total score of the emotional behaviors and care between the two groups.

Maternal and infant skin contact during lactation increased attachment after 24 hours in unintended pregnancy, while in the first hours after delivery, attachment decreased in these pregnancies.

Happiness is among the factors that promote mental health in mothers with unplanned pregnancy. The present study aimed to determine the impact of attachment skills training on happiness among women with unplanned pregnancy.

This clinical trial was conducted on 84 women with unplanned pregnancy referred to three prenatal clinics in Shiraz in 2018. The participants were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group using permutation block. At first, the participants were requested to sign written informed consent form, demographic information form, and mental health questionnaire. Then, they were asked to complete Oxford Happiness Questionnaire and Cranley’s Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale. The intervention group received attachment training through six 90-min sessions, while the control group underwent the hospital’s routine care. The two groups were required to fill out the study questionnaires once more after 4 weeks after the intervention. After all, the data were analyzed using Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, independent t-test, and ANOVA.

There was a significant difference between the two groups’ pretest and posttest mean scores of happiness (P = 0.0001). The results showed that in the experimental group, pretraining and posttraining period mean scores were 89.64 (7.2) and 93.13 (6.09), respectively; while in the control group, pretraining and posttraining period mean scores were, respectively, 91.69 (9.96) and 91 (8.82). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant. No significant relationship was observed between happiness and the couples’ occupations, number of pregnancies, and number of miscarriages in the two groups (P > 0.05).

The mean score of happiness increased after the training, being significantly different from that in the control group. Therefore, happiness is a changeable feature that can be promoted among pregnant women via interventional methods.