MATERNAL-FETAL ATTACHMENT AND PERCEIVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH IMPORTANT OTHERS IN ADOLESCENTS

We examined associations between maternal-fetal attachment and the pre gnant adolescent's perceived relationships with her mother and the bab y's father. Questionnaires were administered in health department pren atal clinics to a sample of 61 Mexican-American, African-American, and Caucasian adolescents at 13 to 40 weeks' gestation. Each woman comple ted Cranley's maternal-fetal attachment scale (MFAS), an investigator- developed relationship with mother scale and a survey instrument that assessed living situation, perceptions of the relationship with the ba by's father, and standard demographic variables. Scores on the MFAS si gnificantly correlated with the adolescent's perceived close relations hips with her mother and the baby's father, frequency of contact with the baby's father, gestation, and marital status. Mexican-American ado lescents scored significantly lower on the MFAS than Caucasian adolesc ents. The scale needs further testing in multiethnic groups of adults and adolescents.