Perception of nurses about the risk factors for impaired mother-infant bonding

Abstract

The process of forming a bond and affection is essential for the baby because it generates an emotional basis supported by security and stability. There are factors that foster and strengthen the mother’s bond to the newborn, and likewise, there are factors that impair this relationship. The aim of this study is to determine the risk factors that impair this mother/infant bond, identified by nurses and their response. Data collection was performed by means of interviews with 33 nurses who work in the maternity ward. Concerning the risk factors for the mother-infant bond, it was observed: The new birth pathology identified by 45.5% of the nurses; the lack of training of the health professionals to cope with the psychological-biological-social requirements, identified by 39.4%; premature births, identified by 33.3% of the nurses and undesired pregnancy observed by 30.3%. The remedies most frequently employed by the nurses to strengthen the mother-infant bond were: promotion of the use of joint hospital room, mentioned by 87.9% of the nurses and breast-feeding in the first hour upon birth, pointed out by 72.7% of the interviewees.