Summary: A new study shows that fetal movement frequency in late pregnancy is directly tied to stronger maternal-fetal attachment. Using an actocardiograph, researchers objectively measured movements and found that higher activity was associated with greater emotional bonding, even when controlling for other factors like maternal mood or gestational age.
These results highlight that fetal movements serve not only as indicators of health but also as early communication that builds emotional ties. Paying conscious attention to these signals may encourage more attentive and sensitive caregiving after birth.
Key Facts:
- Fetal Activity Matters: Higher movement frequency was linked to stronger maternal attachment.
- Objective Measurement: Actocardiograph data confirmed the link beyond subjective perception.
- Lasting Impact: Stronger prenatal bonding may promote more sensitive caregiving postnatally.
Source: BIAL Foundation
Research measured fetal movements in 51 pregnant women and found that higher frequencies were strongly linked to greater maternal attachment.
Paying conscious attention to these signals may be a non-invasive and effective strategy for strengthening prenatal attachment and promoting more attentive and sensitive caregiving after birth.
One of the earliest and most evident forms of fetal interaction with the environment is fetal movement, which gives the pregnant woman a sense of reassurance about the fetus’s health and development.
At the same time, these movements contribute to the emotional attachment formed during pregnancy, known as maternal-fetal attachment (MFA), which helps create mental images of the baby and prepares for parenthood on an emotional level.
Previous studies have shown that counting fetal movements significantly enhances MFA scores and that mothers who perceive greater fetal movements tend to have higher MFA scores compared to those who perceive fewer.
However, it is not yet clear whether this association results solely from the pregnant woman’s subjective perception or whether there is indeed a measurable relationship between actual fetal activity and the emotional bond formed during pregnancy.
To address this question, researchers Kathy Ayala and Helena Rutherford led a study supported by the Bial Foundation, in which fetal movements of 51 pregnant women in their third trimester were recorded using an actocardiograph. MFA was assessed using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory-Revised questionnaire.
The study was presented in the article Associations between fetal movement and maternal-fetal attachment in late pregnancy, published in the scientific journal Early Human Development, which involved researchers from Yale University, Yale New Haven Hospital, and Weill Cornell Medical College (USA).
The results showed that the more active the fetus is, the stronger the emotional bond tends to be between mother and baby. This relationship remained significant even when other factors that could influence bonding were considered, such as the mother’s mood, gestational age, parity, or knowledge of the baby’s sex.
These findings reinforce the importance of fetal movements during pregnancy, not only as indicators of health but also as a form of communication that helps strengthen the emotional attachment between mother and child.
Even when not consciously perceived, fetal movements appear to play an active role in creating this emotional connection. Paying attention to and interacting with the baby’s movements (for example, through observation or simple emotional responses) can be a simple, natural, and non-invasive way to promote stronger bonding before birth.
This attachment may positively impact postnatal caregiving, making it more attentive, sensitive, and emotionally attuned to the baby.
“Although our findings align with previous research, our work goes further by using objective measurements of fetal movements rather than relying solely on maternal perception”, explains Helena Rutherford.
“By using a fetal actocardiograph, we were able to capture movements not perceived by the mother, allowing for a more rigorous and unbiased examination of the link between fetal activity and prenatal attachment”.
“Considering that MFA is associated with more engaged and stimulating mother-infant interactions after birth, understanding these prenatal associations offers valuable insights into how early psychological and relational processes shape development throughout the perinatal period”, elucidates the researcher.
About this pregnancy and bonding research news
Author: Sandra Pinto
Source: BIAL Foundation
Contact: Sandra Pinto – BIAL Foundation
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Associations between fetal movement and maternal-fetal attachment in late pregnancy” by Kathy Ayala et al. Early Human Development
Abstract
Associations between fetal movement and maternal-fetal attachment in late pregnancy
Maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) represents the evolving psychological bond between a pregnant person and their fetus, reflecting early emotional investment and expectations of the maternal role.
Maternal awareness and response to fetal movement are key components of MFA, suggesting that fetal activity may serve as a meaningful cue in the development of maternal representations of the baby.
Previous work shows that engaging in fetal movement counting significantly enhances MFA scores, and mothers who perceive greater fetal movements have higher MFA scores compared to those who perceive fewer movements.
However, it remains unclear if this association reflects perception alone, or whether associations between objective fetal movement and MFA exist.
Therefore, we objectively measured fetal movement alongside MFA in 51 pregnant women (mean age 28.9 years, SD = 6.0) in their third trimester (mean gestational weeks 36.7, SD = 2.2).
Fetal movement was objectively measured with a Toitu MT-516 fetal actocardiograph and MFA was assessed using the Prenatal Attachment Inventory-Revised. Greater fetal movement was associated with higher MFA scores, independent of maternal mood, parity, knowledge of fetal sex, and gestational age.
Taken together, these findings underscore the relevance of fetal movement within the psychology of pregnancy, suggesting that fetal movement outside of maternal perception may function as a communicative signal to enhance MFA.
As maternal-fetal attachment is linked to postpartum bonding and caregiving, understanding these prenatal associations provides insight into how early psychological and relational processes shape postnatal development across the perinatal period.
