Is Being a Refugee Affect Prenatal Bonding Scores of Syrian Women in Turkey?

Abstract

Objective: The development of the bond between mother and infant already starts during prenatal life, which is called prenatal bonding is the emotional tie or the bond that generally develops between the pregnant woman and her unborn child. Material and Method: We aimed at investigating the real effect of being a refugee on prenatal bonding. One hundred fifty-two women were eligible for the study; 76 consecutive Syrian refugee patients were determined as the study group. Another 76 straight Turkish women comprised the control group. Patients were informed about the study before applying Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI) which is also validated to all subjects before giving birth. Results: The total PAI score of Syrian patients was significantly lower than Turkish patients (60.17±8.9 vs. 63.53±8.9, p=0.019). For those whose education time period was longer, PAI scores were higher (p