A perspective-based analysis of attachment from prenatal period to second year postnatal life

Abstract

Attachment is one of the foundational themes in the history of the psychological development of human beings. For this reason, we assume that it must be approached by taking into account multiple scientific perspectives. The present review aims at analyzing the state of the art regarding the genetic, neurobiological and cognitive mechanisms underlying the development of attachment bonding, considering the child as the frame of reference. We hypothesize that attachment may be present in prototypical forms even in the prenatal period, thus our analysis has a temporal origin in the intrauterine period preceding birth. The intrauterine period is assumed to be a period of maximum sensitivity to stimuli and in particular to those coming from a potential primary caregiver: the biological mother. We conclude with a reframing of the state of the art and propose that future research work would benefit from a superordinate model of attachment, capable of containing and regulating all its components and variables.

Keywords: attachment development; cognition; genetics; neurobiology; prenatal attachment.

Figure 1

Attachment styles. Schematic representation of secure, insecure anxious, insecure avoidant attachment styles, according to three main dimensions: degree of perceived safety, degree of search for proximity to the caregiver, and sense of agency.

Figure 2

Maternal conditions that influence the attachment bond with the baby starting from the gestational period.

Figure 3

Mother-fetus exchanges and reciprocal influence.

Figure 4

PRISMA flow diagram outlining the identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion criteria for the studies found within the scope of this review.

Figure 5

Internal working models are based on interactive experiences with the caregiver, and the hypothesis we support is that the cognitive abilities of the fetus and the child in the first year of life are sufficient to inform and lay the foundation for the attachment model at various levels of complexity.