Predictors of parental attachment during early parenthood

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Abstract
Parental attachment of 121 high‐risk women, 61 partners of high‐risk women, 182 low‐risk women, and 117 partners of low‐risk women, was studied at the first week postpartum and 8 months following birth The tests of theoretical models showed low predictive ability explaining from zero to 21% of the variance in parental attachment in the four groups over the two test periods Empirical respecified models predicting parent‐infant attachment at the first week postpartum and 8 months explained 31% and 29% of the variance among high‐nsk women, 69% and 45% among high‐nsk partners, 41% and 53% among low‐nsk women, and 35% and 38% among low‐risk partners Parental competence was a major predictor of parental attachment over all test periods for all four groups Early parent‐infant contact following birth was never a predictor except at 8 months when, among low‐nsk women, the opposite effect than that expected was observed; the later women held their infants the higher was their attachment High‐nsk women scored significantly higher than low‐risk women during the first week postpartum only