A History of the Theory of Prenatal Attachment

John Bowlby’s theory of human attachment has become widely applied
across disciplines and across the stages of human development. This discussion
explores the evolution of an application of Bowlby’s theory to the experience of
pregnancy, from both maternal and paternal perspectives. Although the theoretical
construct of maternal fetal attachment (MFA) requires continued theoretically-driven
research, existing studies have associated this proposed construct with health
behaviors, marital relationship, depressive symptoms, and the postpartum motherinfant relationship, pointing toward its relevance for academicians and clinicians
devoted to the service of women and infants.
KEY WORDS: Attachment, prenatal attachment, prenatal, pregnancy