Analysis of the internal structure of the Slovenian version of the Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI)

A phrase maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) is used to describe a variety of emotions, behaviours, perceptions and cognitions of pregnant woman toward her unborn child. Several scales have been developed for measuring different aspects of MFA. The purpose of this study was to analyse the internal structure and reliability of the Slovenian version of Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI; Müller, 1993). PAI and a sociodemographic questionnaire were administered to a sample of 619 pregnant women in their second trimester of pregnancy, recruited from Clinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Ljubljana. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a three-factor solution had better fit to the data than a one-factor solution. However, we decided to keep a more parsimonious one-factor solution as there was high overlap between factors in the three-factor solution. We also considered the theoretical background of the PAI and previous studies of its underlying structure. Results showed good reliability of the PAI. PAI is a psychometrically appropriate instrument for use in research setting

The bond between a mother and her unborn child

The bond between a mother and a child starts to develop before birth, increases with the gestational age of the child and is related to the quality of postpartum mother–infant interaction. Even though the expression maternal-fetal or prenatal attachment is commonly used to describe the parent's emotions, behaviors and perceptions that are related to the fetus, its use seems to be unsuitable. Considering Bowlby's and Ainsworth's theory of attachment, the relationship between mother and her unborn child is guided by the caregiving system. The purpose of this article is to lay out the dilemmas about the terminology, to present different definitions, measurements and variables, related to the relationship between the mother and her fetus. This relationship is a predictor of various maternal and child outcomes postnatally, which is why the goals of future investigation should be directed towards greater clarity in conceptualization, definition and measurement of the concept, and in exploration of the risks and mediating factors

The role of health services in encouraging disclosure of violence against women

The aim of the survey was to assess the differences in disclosure by the type of violence to better plan the role of health services in identifying and disclosing violence