Healthcare behaviours in pregnancy - version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Healthcare behaviours in pregnancy: Investigating the impact of maternal reflective functioning on engagement with antenatal healthcare behaviours
IRAS ID
195097
Contact name
Elizabeth Bickford Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Liverpool
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 1 months, 29 days
Research summary
Healthcare practices, such as maintaining a nutritious diet, getting enough rest and abstaining from tobacco and alcohol, can significantly impact the outcome of a pregnancy. Poor health practices increase the chances of the infant being born prematurely, having a low birth weight and developing congenital anomalies, all of which can have long-term negative consequences. Maternal depression is a risk factor for poor healthcare practices, although the negative impact can be reduced if a positive attachment (relationship between mother and baby) exists.A key element within attachment is maternal reflective functioning. Reflective functioning is the capacity of the mother to perceive her child as an individual with their own mental states (i.e. feelings, desires and intentions) thereby enhancing a mother’s ability to understand and respond to her child’s emotions and behaviour appropriately. Current postnatal literature indicates an association between poorer reflective functioning capacity and atypical maternal behaviours, such as hostility, withdrawal or failure to attempt to alleviate child’s distress. However, intervention targeted at increasing reflective functioning, has been shown to result in an improvement in maternal behaviours in the postnatal period. These relationships have yet to be examined within the prenatal period. The proposed study aims to examine the relationships between reflective functioning, and maternal behaviour in the antenatal period. This would allow for the early identification of mothers with low reflective functioning capacity and the provision of interventions targeted at increasing this capacity at an earlier stage, i.e. before the child is born, having a potential beneficial impact on future outcomes for the child.\nThis study aims to recruit 71 participants within the third trimester of pregnancy via community antenatal clinics within Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. A set of questionnaires related to healthcare behaviours, reflective functioning, attachment and mental health will be administered at one time point and take approximately 40 minutes to complete.Participants will have an option to complete questionnaires in paper format or via a secure online survey site.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/NW/0413
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion