title: Does the visibility of a congenital anomaly affect maternal-infant attachment levels?
abstract: To determine whether congenital anomaly visibility affects maternal-infant attachment levels.
  
  
  
  The study population consisted of mothers who had infants with cleft lip/palate or congenital heart anomalies who were receiving treatment in a university hospital. The data were collected using the Structured Questionnaire Form and the Maternal Attachment Inventory.
  
  
  
  Statistically significant differences in maternal-infant attachment levels were observed between infants with cleft lips/palates and healthy infants and between infants with congenital heart anomalies and healthy infants.
  
  
  
  It is important to apply appropriate nursing interventions for these mothers during the postpartum period.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Hacettepe University, Sıhhiye, Ankara. boztepehandan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Handan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boztepe
authors.affiliation: Research Assistant, Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Hacettepe University, Sıhhiye, Ankara.
authors.forename: Ayşe
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ay
authors.affiliation: Research Assistant, Pediatric Nursing Department, Istanbul University, Florence Nightingale Nursing Faculty.
authors.forename: Gizem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kerimoğlu Yıldız
authors.affiliation: Research Assistant, Pediatric Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing, Hacettepe University, Sıhhiye, Ankara.
authors.forename: Sevil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Çınar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000523:psychology*; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment
keywords: Cleft lip; cleft palate; congenital anomaly; congenital heart disease; maternal attachment; nursing