Decreased maternal-fetal attachment in methadone-maintained pregnant women: a preliminary study.
Maternal-fetal attachment represents the mother's affiliation and interaction with her unborn fetus. It develops during pregnancy and may be critical to successful mother-infant adaptation. The purpose of this study was to investigate maternal-fetal attachment in methadone-maintained pregnant women. We studied a cross-sectional sample of women (n = 67), 15 to 35 years of age, with uncomplicated, singleton pregnancies, at 28 to 37 weeks of gestation. The study population comprised two groups: group 1 consisted of 17 women enrolled in a substance abuse program who were using methadone, 40 to 80 mg a day, for a period of more than 3 months; group 2 included 50 women with no history of substance abuse. The Cranley 24-item scale was used as a measure of maternal-fetal attachment. Methadone-maintained pregnant women had diminished maternal-fetal attachment scores compared with controls (P < .05). This may be attributed to methadone use or to behavior characteristics of women with substance abuse. In either case, decreased maternal-fetal attachment may conceivably reduce women's compliance with prenatal health care, interfere with maternal adjustment during pregnancy, and/or have negative long-term effects on mother-child attachment.
Mikhail
M S
MS
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Youchah
J
J
DeVore
N
N
Ho
G Y
GY
Anyaegbunam
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*
D008691:Methadone