The Maternal-Fetal Relationship:Conceptualisation, Measurement and Application in Practice

Darwin, Zoe and Walsh, Judi ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5042-0458 (2017) The Maternal-Fetal Relationship:Conceptualisation, Measurement and Application in Practice. In: Biopsychosocial Factors in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 245-254. ISBN 9781316341261

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Abstract

Pregnancy and the transition to parenthood involve great psychological adaptation, including the development of the woman's relationship with her unborn child - the maternal-fetal relationship (MFR). MFR manifests in a woman's thoughts, feelings, attitudes and behaviours towards her developing baby. Routine psychosocial assessment increasingly features in maternity care. Some argue for assessment to include MFR to target interventions towards those judged to have 'sub-optimal' MFR, to improve health-related behaviours, and to optimise parenting and the child's social and emotional development. There is, however, inconsistency in how MFR has been conceptualised, raising questions about what 'sub-optimal' MFR might look like, and a lack of evidence on its associated risks, and amenability to intervention. To consider the implications of MFR for health professionals and clinical practice we outline what is meant by MFR, how it may be measured, what MFR influences and is influenced by, and why and when MFR may be measured.

Item Type: Book Section
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Health Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Developmental Science
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Cognition, Action and Perception
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Centre for Research on Children and Families
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Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 29 Apr 2016 16:01
Last Modified: 26 Jul 2023 09:53
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/58516
DOI:

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