Fetal Sex Identification and Prenatal Bonding

Abstract

This study explored the relation between expectant parents' knowledge of fetal sex and their attachment to their fetuses. During a routine 18-wk. prenatal visit, 126 expectant couples from an HMO population independently completed a background questionnaire and Fetal Attachment Scales of Cranky. During a routine 34-wk. obstetrical ultrasound examination those who chose to know were informed of the fetal sex. Total attachment scales were readministered during the 37th week. Parents' sex, knowledge of fetal sex, and the passage of time significantly affected attachment scores. Both parents' scores increased over time. Mothers' scores increased at a greater rate than the fathers'. Those parents who knew the fetal sex had significantly lower scores than those who did not. Whether the sex of the fetus was the preferred sex was nonsignificant. Results were derived from a double multivariate analysis of variance which controlled the within-couple and within-subject effects.