PROGETTO Ma.F.A.St.: GLI EFFETTI NEGATIVI DELLO STRESS SULL’ATTACCAMENTO FETALE MATERNO POSSONO ESSERE ATTENUATI?

Pregnancy can be a joyful, but also stressful moment for future mothers, who experience unique social, psychological and physical changes, as well as starting to bond with the future baby. Attachment already starts during pregnancy, when the mother begins to develop an emotional connection towards her fetus, also known as maternal fetal attachment (MFA). MFA may be disrupted when the mother has to deal with high levels of perceived stress (PS); however, social support and adaptive coping strategies might buffer such effect. Ma.F.A.St. (Maternal Fetal Attachment and Stress) Project is aimed at exploring pregnancy-related variables associated with MFA and moderators in the association between PS and MFA. At first, a positive association between MFA and gestational age on the one side and planned pregnancy on the other side was hypothesized. Then, the following hypothesis was tested: mothers with high social support and effective coping strategies such as positive attitude and problem solving would have a stronger attachment to their unborn baby, when they display high PS, as compared to mothers with similar stress levels, but lower social support and less effective coping strategies such as avoidance strategies. 49 future mothers (mean gestational weeks=30.88) completed the Italian versions of the Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale (MAAS), Perceived Stress Scale (IPSS-10), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced – New Italian Version (COPE-NIV), and a questionnaire concerning demographic information. Results indicated no significant correlation between MFA and gestational age or planned pregnancy. In addition, perceived social support, positive attitude and problem solving were not significant moderators in the association between PS and MFA. Avoidance strategies surprisingly resulted to buffer the effects of PS on MFA.