Improving Postnatal Mother-Infant Bonding Through Interactive Attachment Training among Pregnant Adolescents in Zaria Metropolis

Prenatal fetal-maternal attachment can enhance maternal-infant attachment leading to cognitive and social infants development. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of interractive attachment training on postnatal mother-infant bonding of pregnant adolescents attending antenatal clinics at Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) in the Zaria metropolis. The study adopted a quasi-experimental study design, the Controlled Interrupted Time Series (CITS) approach; to allow for the evaluation of maternal-infant attachment from the third trimester of pregnancy through their various postpartum visits to PHCs for immunization up to the sixth month postpartum period. The participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique to obtain data from 302 adolescent mothers assigned to the study and control groups that is; 151 participants to each group. The instruments used were a structured and validated interviewer-administered questionnaire and an observation checklist before and after the intervention. Data collected were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were presented on frequency/percentage tables while inferential statistics was used in the form of chi-square and t-test to evaluate the effect and line charts for the trends of the effect. At the pretest, no statistically significant difference in the pretest means knowledge (p-value = 0.466) scores of mothers between the study and control groups. At post-tests, the mean knowledge and practice scores of mothers in the study group improved significantly (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at the first week, (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at 6th week, (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at 10th week, (P-value knowledge =<0.001; practice =<0.001) at 14th week and (P-value knowledge = <0.001; practice = <0.001) at 6th month postpartum. Mothers in the study group were more satisfied with their role of maternal attachment than those in the control group (p-value <0.001). Hence, implementing interactive attachment training programs is a suitable solution for attainment of postnatal maternal-infant bonding and resultant socio-cognitive development of infants born to adolescent mothers.