Abstract

OLIVEIRA, Débora Silva de et al. The emotional impact of maternal pregnancy on preschool firstborns. Arq. bras. psicol. [online]. 2015, vol.67, n.3, pp. 94-111. ISSN 1809-5267.

The present study investigated emotional impact of maternal pregnancy on preschool firstborns assessed by Fables Test and compared with only children. Forty-six children between two to and six years participated of this study (21 only children and 25 firstborns whose mothers were in the third trimester of pregnancy), of varying socioeconomic levels and residents at Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. The instrument was applied individually and data were analyzed based on categorization system proposed by the authors of the test. Results revealed that children whose mothers were pregnant demonstrated more fantasies of deprivation, rejection and abandonment, defenses and expressions of feelings. They also presented more mobilization when dealing with separations from their mothers, searching for other support figures. The Fables Test facilitated unconscious expression, enabling to access the complex process of becoming a sibling, which begins even before the birth of first sibling.

Keywords : Preschool children; Pregnancy; Projective techniques.

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