School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
J Midwifery Womens Health. 2023 Jan;68(1):117-124. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.13440. Epub 2022 Dec 19.
The emotional bond that parents feel with their child is a crucial determinant of the child's psychosocial well-being and future development. Few studies have evaluated the predictive roles of depressive symptoms, relationship satisfaction, and family sense of coherence in the quality of parent-infant bonding for both parents during the perinatal period. The aim of this study was to determine the predictive effects of depressive symptoms, relationship satisfaction, and family sense of coherence during pregnancy; changes thereof from pregnancy to 6 weeks postpartum; and the partner's bond with the infant on the quality of parent-infant bonding at 6 weeks postpartum in Chinese mothers and fathers.
This was a secondary analysis of data from an intervention study. A convenience sample of 231 Chinese childbearing couples was recruited from the antenatal clinics of public hospitals in Hong Kong. Parent-infant bonding, depressive symptoms, relationship satisfaction, and family sense of coherence were measured using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, and Family Sense of Coherence Scale during pregnancy and at 6 weeks postpartum.
The findings indicated that higher depressive symptoms during pregnancy and poor partner bonding with the infant were the major predictors of impaired parent-infant bonding at 6 weeks postpartum for both parents. Prenatal relationship satisfaction was not a significant predictor of parent-infant bonding at 6 weeks postpartum for either parent. Prenatal family sense of coherence was a strong predictor of parent-infant bonding for mothers but not for fathers.
The findings highlight the significant effects of depressive symptoms, family sense of coherence, and the partner's bond with the infant on parent-infant bonding during the perinatal period. Comprehensive early prenatal programs that promote parental well-being and strengthen family sense of coherence should be integrated into existing perinatal services to promote the quality of parent-infant bonding for both parents.
父母与孩子之间的情感纽带是孩子心理社会幸福感和未来发展的关键决定因素。很少有研究评估围产期父母的抑郁症状、关系满意度和家庭凝聚力感对父母-婴儿结合质量的预测作用。本研究旨在确定围产期抑郁症状、关系满意度和家庭凝聚力感的预测作用；从妊娠到产后 6 周的变化；以及伴侣与婴儿的联系对中国母亲和父亲产后 6 周时父母-婴儿结合质量的影响。
这是一项干预研究的二次分析。从香港公立医院的产前诊所招募了 231 对有生育能力的中国夫妇作为方便样本。在怀孕期间和产后 6 周时，使用产后结合问卷、爱丁堡产后抑郁量表、夫妻调整量表和家庭凝聚力感量表来测量父母-婴儿结合、抑郁症状、关系满意度和家庭凝聚力感。
研究结果表明，怀孕期间较高的抑郁症状和与婴儿的不良伴侣关系是父母双方产后 6 周时父母-婴儿结合受损的主要预测因素。产前关系满意度不是父母双方产后 6 周时父母-婴儿结合的显著预测因素。产前家庭凝聚力感是母亲的重要预测因素，但不是父亲的预测因素。
研究结果强调了抑郁症状、家庭凝聚力感和伴侣与婴儿的关系对围产期父母-婴儿结合的重要影响。应将促进父母健康和增强家庭凝聚力感的综合早期产前计划纳入现有的围产期服务中，以提高父母双方的父母-婴儿结合质量。
