MOTHER-INFANT BONDING IN THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD AND ITS PREDICTORS.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess bonding between a mother and her child with an emphasis on its predictors as well as to identify the women who are at risk of mother-infant bonding disorders. Design: A quantitative cross-sectional study. Methods: To collect the relevant data, the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) was used to assess the following four factors: quality of mother-infant bond (F1); rejection and pathological anger (F2); infant-focused anxiety (F3); incipient abuse of infant (F4). The research sample consisted of 200 women who were 0-6 weeks after childbirth. The received data were analysed using descriptive statistics, the Robust ANOVA and the Wilcoxon two-sample test. Results: We identified 9.5% at-risk women in the F1; 1.5% at-risk women in the F2; 3.5% at-risk women in the F3; and 5% at-risk women in the F4. The following statistically significant predictors were shown in relation to the F1: child planning; the F3: parity; skin-to-skin contact support after birth. Conclusion: Possible predictors and the mothers who are at risk in relation to a secure attachment connection were identified, which is important in terms of preventive interventions on the part of midwives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]