Stress, Depression, and Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women having Infertility Treatments

Miok Kim

doi:10.4069/kjwhn.2014.20.2.163

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Kim: Stress, Depression, and Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women having Infertility Treatments

Original Article

Korean Journal of Women Health Nursing 2014; 20(2): 163-172.

Published online: 30 June 2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4069/kjwhn.2014.20.2.163

Stress, Depression, and Fetal Attachment in Pregnant Women having Infertility Treatments

Miok Kim

Department of Nursing, Namseoul University, Cheonan, Korea.

Corresponding author: Kim, Miok. Department of Nursing, Namseoul University, Seong-hwan-eup, Seobuk-gu, Cheonan 331-707, Korea. Tel: +82-41-580-2716, Fax: +82-41-580-2931, aprilsea@hanmail.net

Received 24 February 2014 Revised 12 May 2014 Accepted 27 May 2014

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the stress, depression, and fetal attachment of pregnant women who underwent infertility treatment, and to identify factors associated with fetal attachment.

Methods

As a correlation survey design, data were collected from 136 pregnant women who underwent infertility treatment. Data were analyzed using χ²-test, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression.

Results

Stress, depression, and fetal attachment averaged 3.01±0.60 (range of scale 1~5), 10.02±6.51 (out of a possible 63), and 3.64±0.55 (range of scale 1~5), respectively. Level of fetal attachment was higher when mother's age was less than 35, having other children, and having prenatal education experience. Lower score of depression and client's age less than 35 were significant factors affecting fetal attachment.

Conclusion

Infertility is a life-affecting trauma for the individual, and personal and social changes due to infertility cause physical and psychological difficulties even after a successful pregnancy with infertility treatment. Therefore, prenatal management programs need to be developed giving consideration to the emotional and physical changes in order to promote physical and psychological stability in the women pregnant following infertility treatment.

Keywords: Pregnant women, Stress, Depression, Fetal relation

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General Characteristics of Subjects (N=136)

Table 2

Levels of Stress, Depression, and Fetal Attachment of Subjects (N=136)

Table 3

Levels of Stress, Depression, and Fetal Attachment according to General Characteristics (N=136)

Table 4

Relationships among Stress, Depression, and Fetal Attachment (N=136)

Table 5

Explained Factors on Fetal Attachment (N=136)

Clients' age>35 years=1.

Notes

This work was financially supported by the research fund of Namseoul University in 2014.

Summary Statement

▪ What is already known about this topic?

Prior studies showed that pregnancy causes various physical and emotional changes to pregnant women, and negative emotions such as stress and depression negatively influence maternal-fetal attachment.

▪ What this paper adds?

Negative correlation was observed between depression and fetal attachment. Fetal attachment showed statistically significant differences according to the woman's age, having had a child or not, and herand her spouse's pre-natal education experience. The woman'slower level of depression and age less than 35 were significant factors affecting fetal attachment.

▪ Implications for practice, education and/or policy

Infertility-related healthcare professionals need to understand infertility-treated pregnant women's emotional changes and help them overcome their psychological and emotional difficulties and reach appropriate solutions. In addition, adequate nursing intervention programs should be developed to help these women adapt and deal with the various challenges they face during pregnancy.

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