The impact of miscarriage on women's pregnancy-specific anxiety and feelings of prenatal maternal-fetal attachment during the course of a subsequent pregnancy: an exploratory follow-up study.
This study assesses the implications a miscarriage history has on women's pregnancy-specific anxiety and feelings of prenatal maternal-fetal attachment during the 1st and 3rd trimesters of a subsequent pregnancy. Thirty-five pregnant women (N = 10 with a history of miscarriage) volunteered participation completing the Pregnancy Outcome Questionnaire (POQ), the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS and a demographic/reproductive history questionnaire during the first trimester of pregnancy. Of these, 24 participants completed the measures again during the third trimester of pregnancy. Women with a miscarriage history reported significantly higher pregnancy-specific anxiety at trimester 1 than women with no miscarriage history; even when the effects of parity were controlled. All expectant mothers, irrespective of miscarriage history, scored similarly at trimester 1 on the MAAS scales. By the 3rd trimester, pregnancy-specific anxiety had significantly decreased for women with a miscarriage history whose mean scores on the POQ were now similar to women with no history of miscarriage. Maternal-fetal attachment had significantly risen by the 3rd trimester for all women. These findings suggest that having a miscarriage history may not have a long-lasting adverse effect on woman's psychological adaptation during the course of a subsequent pregnancy.
Tsartsara
Eirini
E
British Hellenic College, 2 Rethimnou Street, 106 82, Athens, Greece. tsartsaraeirini@yahoo.gr
Johnson
Martin P
MP
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D009769:Object Attachment; D010298:Parity / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000523:psychology; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom