Maternal-fetal bonding: A concept analysis: Apego materno-fetal: Un análisis de concepto

Introduction: Maternal-fetal bonding is a relational process built by the pregnant woman. Objective: To identify the attributes of the concept of maternal-fetal bonding. Material and methods: The conceptual analysis approached by Walker and Avant's was used. A detailed searched for articles in several databases such as Lilacs/BIREME, CUIDEN, EBSCO, Science Direct, Ovid, EMBASE, PubMed/Medline y Google Scholar was carried out. A database was designed to gather information from different articles. The integration of information was carried out following the steps proposed for the concept analysis outlined by Walker and Avant. Development: Maternal-fetal bonding is a process that requires the mental representation of the fetus as a person. It can be expressed as interactions with the fetus and self-care behavior, and it requires network support. Some antecedents of maternal-fetal bonding are the relation of the pregnant woman with her mother and her partner and consequently, the intention to breastfeed, the sensation of maternal competence, and maternal-infant attachment. The attributes of this concept can be grouped into four dimensions: cognitive, affective, altruistic, and personal/relational. Several instruments have been developed to carry out its measurement, including Cranley's, Muller's and Condon's. Conclusions: It is concluded that maternal-fetal bonding is a concept of transcendence combining theory and practice of maternal and child nursing care and prenatal care; as it is a fundamental pillar in the transition to motherhood.