Trajectories of maternal bonding over the perinatal period: Associations with demographic, obstetric, psychological, and infant variables.

ABSTRACT: Biopsychosocial perspectives suggest that maternal bonding is shaped by various factors. Moreover, bonding may vary among different groups of women. This study aimed to identify trajectories of maternal bonding from late pregnancy to 12 months postpartum and explored whether these were associated with demographic, obstetric, psychological, and infant variables. Questionnaires were completed by 1216 Dutch women (M_age = 31.50) and obstetric data were collected. To estimate longitudinal trajectories, latent class growth analysis was performed. As anticipated, three distinct bonding trajectories emerged, characterized by consistently high, intermediate, or low bonding. Bonding increased between late pregnancy and 8 weeks postpartum, but not in the low bonding class. Women with a low

SUBMITTER: de Waal N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12742452 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature