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. 2012 Apr;35(2):112-20.
doi: 10.1002/nur.21464. Epub 2012 Jan 19.

The influence of maternal-fetal attachment and health practices on neonatal outcomes in low-income, urban women

Jeanne L Alhusen  1 , Deborah Gross, Matthew J Hayat, Anne B Woods, Phyllis W Sharps
Affiliations

The influence of maternal-fetal attachment and health practices on neonatal outcomes in low-income, urban women

Jeanne L Alhusen et al. Res Nurs Health. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) has been associated with health practices during pregnancy, but less is known about this relationship in low-income women, and no identified studies have examined this relationship to neonatal outcomes. This longitudinal descriptive study was conducted to examine the relationships among MFA, health practices during pregnancy, and neonatal outcomes in a sample of low-income, predominantly African-American women and their neonates. MFA was associated with health practices during pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes. Health practices during pregnancy mediated the relationships of MFA and adverse neonatal outcomes. The results support the importance of examining MFA in our efforts to better understand the etiology of health disparities in neonatal outcomes.

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