Unplanned Journeys: Study Exploring Maternal Bonding in the Shadow of Unintended Pregnancy

Recent longitudinal study examining the impact of unintended pregnancy on maternal bonding was conducted in Japan, spanning from pregnancy to one month postpartum. Highlighting that maternal bonding is a crucial emotional connection influencing child development, the study aimed to elucidate the relationship between unintended pregnancies and maternal bonding, exploring potential implications for maternal mental health.

Research Methodology

The research involved 93 participants recruited from a medical center, who completed questionnaires regarding whether their pregnancies were intended or unintended, and assessments of parental bonding through the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) at both pregnancy and postpartum phases. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was employed to measure levels of maternal depression during these periods.

Results Analysis

Results indicated that mothers with unintended pregnancies exhibited significantly higher impairment in bonding scores both during pregnancy and at one month postpartum compared to mothers with intended pregnancies, with higher PBQ mean scores in the unintended group (M = 13.3 during pregnancy; M = 9.2 postpartum) against planned pregnancies (M = 6.2; M = 4.81 respectively). The study also found moderate correlations between maternal bonding and depression metrics, suggesting that unintended pregnancies relate more significantly to bonding impairment than depression alone. Despite a general decline in impaired bonding scores from pregnancy to postpartum for both groups, unintended pregnancies were confirmed to maintain an adverse effect through to postpartum. Notably, the research extended to investigate whether unintended pregnancy impacts maternal mental health, affirming that mothers with unintended pregnancies reported higher EPDS scores during both periods (M = 7.8 during pregnancy; M = 6.6 postpartum) compared to their intended counterparts (M = 4.2; M = 2.8 respectively). The findings highlight the complexities of maternal bonding dynamics, indicating that while bonding appears to improve after childbirth, the initial effects of unintended pregnancy can have lingering consequences.

Implications and Future Research

The study's implications underscore the need for healthcare practitioners to prioritize support for mothers experiencing unintended pregnancies, as these experiences can hinder the mother-infant connection essential for healthy development. Recommendations for future research include larger sample sizes and diversified populations to validate these findings and explore long-term maternal-child relationship consequences, alongside refining bonding assessment tools suitable for both prenatal and postnatal evaluations.

Key Points

- A longitudinal study in Japan assessed the impact of unintended pregnancy on maternal bonding, measuring the emotional connection critical for child development from pregnancy to one month postpartum.

- Ninety-three participants completed questionnaires regarding pregnancy intention and maternal bonding assessments through the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) and maternal depression levels via the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS).

- Results demonstrated that mothers with unintended pregnancies had significantly higher PBQ scores, reflecting greater impairment in bonding during pregnancy (M = 13.3) and one month postpartum (M = 9.2), compared to those with intended pregnancies (M = 6.2 during pregnancy; M = 4.81 postpartum).

- Moderate correlations were identified between maternal bonding and maternal depression indices, indicating a stronger linkage of bonding impairment to unintended pregnancies than to depression alone, with unintended pregnancies maintaining negative effects on bonding through to the postpartum phase.

- Higher EPDS scores were recorded for mothers with unintended pregnancies both during pregnancy (M = 7.8) and postpartum (M = 6.6), in contrast to those with intended pregnancies (M = 4.2 during pregnancy; M = 2.8 postpartum), suggesting that unintended pregnancies adversely affect maternal mental health.

- The findings emphasize the need for healthcare practitioners to provide support for mothers facing unintended pregnancies and advocate for further research involving larger and more diverse populations to explore long-lasting effects on maternal-child relationships and improve bonding assessment methodologies.

Reference –

Hitoshi Kaneko et al. (2025). The Effects Of Unintended Pregnancy On Maternal Bonding Impairment Among Japanese Mothers: A Longitudinal Study From Pregnancy To One Month Postpartum. *BMC Pregnancy And Childbirth*, 25. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-025-07642-9.