Assessment of Maternal-Infant-Bonding between mothers and their babies with a cleft lip
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Date
2017
Authors
Nienaber, Elzette
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Abstract
Currently there is no literature exploring how having a child with a cleft lip with or without a
cleft palate affects the maternal-infant bonding in a South African context. This study aimed
to describe bonding between mothers and their affected infants and to determine whether
demographic factors are associated with bonding impairment. Thirty two mothers with
affected children were recruited from two clinics at Johannesburg State Hospitals. The
Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire was used to establish bonding impairment in this group.
The results indicated that 4 (12.5%) of the mothers had some impaired bonding while the
majority of mothers 28 (87.5%) had normal bonding. Some mothers displayed a degree of
anxiety concerning planned reconstructive surgery. In conclusion, we found that having a
child with a cleft lip does not significantly influence maternal-infant bonding, however
investigations with larger cohort is needed for further clarification.
Description
A research report (in the format of a “submissible” paper) submitted
to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
of Master of Science in Medicine (Genetic Counselling)
Johannesburg, 2017.
Keywords
Maternal-Infant-Bonding