Improving Postnatal Mother-Infant Bonding Through Interactive Attachment Training among Pregnant Adolescents in Zaria Metropolis

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of interractive attachment training on postnatal mother-infant bonding of pregnant adolescents attending antenatal clinics at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in the Zaria metropolis. The study adopted a quasi-experimental study design, the Controlled Interrupted Time Series (CITS) approach; to allow for the evaluation of maternal-infant attachment from the third trimester of pregnancy through their various postpartum visits to PHCs for immunization up to the sixth month postpartum period. The participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique to obtain data from 302 adolescent mothers assigned to the study and control groups that is; 151 participants to each group. The instruments used were a structured and validated interviewer-administered questionnaire and an observation checklist before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were presented on frequency/percentage tables while inferential statistics was used in the form of chi-square and t-test to evaluate the effect and line charts for the trends of the effect. At post-tests, the mean knowledge and practice scores of mothers in the study group improved significantly (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at the first week, (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at 6th week, (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at 10th week, (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at 14th week and (P-value knowledge = <0.001; practice = <0.001) at 6th month postpartum. Mothers in the study group were more satisfied with their role of maternal attachment than those in the control group (p-value <0.001).