| dc.description.abstract | Maternal Fetal Attachment (AMF) is the bond that the pregnant woman develops with her baby during pregnancy it has repercussions on pregnancy, birth and the relationship between mother and baby. With the goal of investigating this construct, this dissertation is composed of two studies, one of literature review and the second an empirical research. The literature review aimed to identify and analyze empirical studies that evaluated maternal fetal attachment (FMA) in pregnant women, also investigating associated sociodemographic and psychosocial factors. Twenty-three articles from eight different countries were selected, involving cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. In general, the reviewed studies pointed to personal issues such as depression, anxiety, maturity level and mental health, as well as socioeconomic aspects such as social support, which were associated with the quality of MFA. The review also indicated that MFA is related to gestational care and birth conditions, influencing the relationship with the baby and its development. Finally, some included studies also suggest the association of the MFA with the parental memories of the pregnant woman. The empirical research aimed to identify the levels of MFA in pregnant women, relating them to their parental relationships, the type of care received from the health service during prenatal care and other sociodemographic variables. This was a descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study, using an online questionnaire containing the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, the Parental Bonding Instrument (care subscale) and a sociodemographic data sheet. A total of 364 Brazilian pregnant women participated,took part of the study, with a mean age of 27.31 years (SD = 6.03). Most of the pregnant women worked (55.5%), were married or lived with their partner (81.6%) and had a predominant monthly family income of one to two minimum wages (31.8%). The mean MPA in the sample was 71.43 (SD = 11.76). There was a positive and moderate correlation between MFA and gestational age (r = 0.328, p <0.001), and a weak negative correlation with the pregnant woman's age (r = -0.219; p = ≤0.05). Pregnant women using the public prenatal careof public healt system presented higher MFA means than those exclusively using the private one (t = 4.394, p ≤ 0.05), and higher MFA levels were associated with better perception of parental care. In the multivariate analysis, the memories of the mother's care practices were shown to be predictive of AMF in 5.10% (Beta = 0.226, p = 0.000) and the age of the pregnant woman in 4.5% (Beta = -, 219, p = 0.000). It was concluded that it is necessary to know the MFA of pregnant women as a form of prevention in health. | en |
