LONDON, May 26:
Monitoring a woman’s relationship with her body during pregnancy may help predict how a new mother will bond with her unborn baby and whether she will suffer from depression or anxiety, scientists say.
The BUMPS method, developed by scientists at the University of York and Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, is a self-reporting system based on questions relating to satisfaction with appearing pregnant, weight gain concerns, and the physical burdens of pregnancy.
For the study, published in the journal Psychological Assessment, data was collected from more than 600 pregnant women using the BUMPS questionnaire.
The research revealed that women who felt more positively about their body changes in pregnancy were more likely to have better relationships with their partners; lower depression and anxiety scores; and were better at interpreting their bodily signals.
Combined scores from the questionnaire provided a strong predictor of whether a pregnant woman would have a positive attachment to their unborn child or not. (PTI)
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