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International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine
Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences of Yazd
ISSN: 1680-6433 EISSN: 1680-6433
Vol. 19, No. 12, 2021, pp. 1075-1084
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Bioline Code: rm21112
Full paper language: English
Document type: Research Article
Document available free of charge
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International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine, Vol. 19, No. 12, 2021, pp. 1075-1084
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Maternal-fetal attachment and anxiety in pregnant women who conceived through assisted reproductive technology: A longitudinal study
Ranjbar, Fahimeh; Warmelink, Catja; Mousavi, Robab & Gharacheh, Maryam
Abstract
Background: Pregnancy through assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a stressful
experience that may affect prenatal attachment. However, maternal-fetal attachment
(MFA) and anxiety in pregnancy after ART are understudied in Iran.
Objective: To compare changes in MFA and pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) in the
first and third trimester of pregnancy in women who conceived through ART compared
to those who conceived naturally.
Materials and Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in 2019 with 187
pregnant women (ART conception = 43, natural conception = 144). Participants were
recruited using the consecutive sampling method from a prenatal clinic in Tehran. The
Cranley MFA Scale and the Van Den Bergh PRA Questionnaire were used to collect
the data.
Results: The MFA score in the 12th wk of gestation was lower in the women who
conceived with ART compared to in the women who conceived naturally, but there was
no statistically significant difference between the groups in wk 36. MFA in both groups
was significantly higher at gestational wk 36 than wk 12 (p ≤ 0.001). The increase in
MFA score was significantly higher in the women who conceived with ART than in those
who conceived naturally (p ≤ 0.001). The anxiety score declined in the two groups and
no statistically significant difference was observed in the changes of anxiety scores
between the two groups (p = 0.84).
Conclusion: Pregnant women who conceived through ART were as attached to their
fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy as other women and did not experience more
PRA.
Keywords
Attachment; Maternal fetal relations; Assisted reproductive technology; Pregnancy; Anxiety.
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