Maternal-fetal attachment in the high-risk pregnancy

The problem of the study was to identify attachment behaviors of high-risk pregnant women. The subjects participating in the study were 40 high-risk women in their third trimester of pregnancy. The data were contrasted to previously collected data from 41 low-risk pregnant women who were demographically similar. This was a descriptive study. Independent t-tests were computed to identify differences between the two groups. There were no significant differences between the groups' total scores on the Maternal-Fetal Attachment scale or on the subscales, Roletaking and Giving of Self. The high-risk group scored significantly higher on two subscales, Interaction with Fetus (£=.047) and Attributing Characteristics (£=.030). The low risk group scored significantly higher on the subscale, Differentiation (£=.034). The findings of this study suggest the high-risk group attached as well to their fetus as the low-risk group. As this is contrary to the literature findings, further research in the area is warranted.