Some determinants of maternal attachment.

The authors conducted prenatal interviews and behavior observation sessions with 46 families in which the woman was pregnant. These families were again interviewed and observed 7 days, 1 month, 2 months, and 6 months after the child was born. The authors found that the most significant variable predicting the variance of maternal attachment was the length of separation of mother and infant: less separation was associated with greater attachment. The next most significant variable was birth experience, followed in importance by the length of labor and prenatal attitudes and expectations.