Prenatal Attachment in Adolescents: Relationship with Maternal Identity, Parent and Peer Attachment, and Father of the Baby

The purpose of the current study was to examine the roles of maternal identity, attachment to mother, attachment to peers, and relationship to the father of the baby, in predicting prenatal attachment in adolescents. The sample consisted of 40 pregnant adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years who were primarily ethnically diverse and from low–income backgrounds. Based on the existing literature, it was hypothesized that more highly developed maternal identity would be significantly associated with higher scores on prenatal attachment. Results instead revealed that less developed maternal identity was predictive of higher prenatal attachment. Based on these findings, it is speculated that although a teen may feel emotionally attached to the unborn baby and may even fantasize about what the baby will be like, this internal connection may nevertheless trigger unique distress due to the external, real–life challenges of becoming a mother during adolescence, thus hindering her acceptance of the motherhood role and her identification as a mother. Findings contradict Rubin's (1984) theory that prenatal attachment is fundamental for the development of maternal identity, specifically for adolescents. Contrary to hypotheses, the teen's attachment to her own mother, her attachment to her peers, and her relationship with the father of the baby were not significant predictors of prenatal attachment. Findings are discussed from a developmental and ecological perspective, taking into account the ecological distress experienced by adolescent mothers from high–risk environments, as well as the transitional nature of attachment in adolescence. The roles of number of weeks gestation, social and institutional support, and the potential measurement issues related to assessing maternal identity in the age group are also discussed as well as implications for research and practice.