Background & Aim: Pregnancy experience can be a kind of crisis in women&aposs lives. Different forms of anxiety can make problems in pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the effect of attachment education on anxiety and attachment behaviors of first-time mothers.

Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 84 primigravida women were selected from two hospitals in Shirazi using convenience sampling. The participants were randomly allocated to the test and control groups. Data were collected using a personal data form, the Anxiety Inventory Spielberger, and the maternal infant attachment tab view. The intervention group received four two-hour sessions during one month training course on attachment behavior. Maternal attachment behaviors were shaped Weekly on the forms. The control group received usual care of pregnancy. At the first day after the delivery, the researchers observed mothers attachment behavior during breastfeeding in all groups using Avant sheet without informing the mothers. Data were analyzed using statistical tests such as Chi-square, T-test, and paired t-test.

Results: The mean of the anxiety score was no significantly different before the intervention between the groups (P=0.59). The average anxiety scores was statistically significant after the intervention in the two groups (P=0.003). Also, average scores on the attachment of mothers with the breastfeeding infants was statistically different (P<0.001) in the intervention group.

Conclusion: Attachment behavior training reduces anxiety and increases maternal attachment.

  Background & Aim: Several studies have indicated that hospitalizing infants causes disruption on mother-infant attachment. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of infant massage by mothers on maternal attachment behavior in infants hospitalized in the neonatal care units .

  Methods & Materials: In this clinical trial, 42 mothers and their neonates were recruited and randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Mothers in the intervention group received training by means of educational movies about practical exercises on how to massage the infants. The trained mothers used massage techniques on their infants for five days. The process lasted 15 minutes. The attachment of the mothers on their infants was assessed before and on the day 5 after the massage. Data were collected using the scale of mother-to-infant attachment. Data were analyzed using the Chi-squared test, Fisher’s exact test and the t-test in the SPSS-19 . 

  Results: There were no differences between the two groups in terms of demographic variables and the mean of maternal attachment at baseline (P>0.05). Five days after the massage, there were statistically significant differences between the two groups in the mean maternal attachment (P<0.001) .

  Conclusion: According to the role of massage in attachment behavior, this traditional care is recommended to be used in neonatal units .