A study of the effect of training pregnant women about attachment skills on infants’ motor development indices at birth to four months

Background. During pregnancy fetus-maternal attachment can improve maternal-fetal attachment, and have positive effects on the infant’s growth and development.

Objectives. This study aimed to investigate the effect of training pregnant mothers about attachment skills on infants’ motor development indices at birth to four months.

Material and methods. This study is a clinical trial with convenient sampling on 190 pregnant women in Hafez hospital. They were randomly divided into two groups: intervention and control. There were 94 and 96 patients in the control and intervention groups, respectively. In the intervention group, 6 sessions of 90-minute educational classes were held. After birth, the infants were compared, in both groups, in terms of motor status using the Denver questionnaire at birth to the age of 4 months.

Results. In the intervention group, educating the women on fetal-maternal attachment skills was associated with infants’ earlier achievement age in terms of some gross motor, all fields of speech-language, and one item of fine-adaptive motor realms. In addition, the infants’ age was significantly reduced in achieving some personal-social items, as well as gross-fine scope at one and three months.

Conclusions. Training the mothers in attachment skills increased fetal-maternal attachment and improved the motor development indicators in infants aged up to four months. Therefore, training in attachment skills is recommended to be given as a component of routine pregnancy care.