Abstract

RUSCHEL, Patricia et al. Maternal-fetal attachment and anxiety of pregnant woman. Rev. SBPH [online]. 2013, vol.16, n.2, pp.166-177. ISSN 1516-0858.

Introduction: Diagnosis of heart disease in fetal life is important and a fetal echocardiogram must be performed in every pregnancy. For pregnant women it is essential to develop attachment to the fetus, this being the prototype of the mother-child relationship. Anxiety is common throughout the gestational period in which bodily and emotional changes occur. Objective: To test if there is an association between the level of anxiety and maternal-fetal attachment of pregnant women who submit to fetal heart disease screening to promote health. Method: Cross-sectional study, with 219 pregnant women to screen for fetal heart disease through a form with sociodemographic data, Cranley's Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale and anxiety using the BAI Scale (Beck Anxiety Inventory). Results: Ages ranged between 15 and 45 years, mean 27.7 ± 6.6 years. There was no statistical significance for association between anxiety and maternal-fetal attachment (p= 0.385). In 83.6% of the pregnant women the mean maternal-fetal attachment level and 82.6% minimum level of anxiety were evidenced. It was demonstrated that maternal-fetal attachment increases with gestational age, but this does not interfere in the correlation between anxiety and attachment (r=0.005, p=0.942). Conclusion: Sample homogeneity was shown as to maternal-fetal attachment and anxiety, but there was no association between them.

Keywords : Fetal echocardiography; Fetal heart disease; Maternal-fetal attachment; Anxiety; Prenatal attention.

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