Abstract

Introduction The paternal-fetal attachment behaviors are a kind of sense of love and deep affection of the father towards the unborn child during the pregnancy of the spouse. This research was performed to examine the effect of attachment behaviors on various dimensions of paternal-fetal attachment. Material and Methods This semi-randomized controlled field clinical trial was performed on the spouses of 68 primigravida women referring to urban healthcare centers of Birjand University of medical sciences who met the inclusion criteria. The sampling was available sampling with random allocation. To assess the extent of paternal-fetal attachment, Cranelly paternal-fetal attachment questionnaire has been used. For the intervention group, 4 sessions once per week were held for training the attachment behaviors, and then one month after the intervention, the paternal-fetal attachment was reevaluated. The results obtained from the research were evaluated by SPSS 19 along with descriptive statistic tests including mean and standard deviation plus independent and paired t-test. Results The results showed that in the intervention group, the mean score of attachment showed a significant increase across all dimensions postintervention compared to the preintervention (p<0.05). However, in the control group, this difference was significant (p=0.001) only in the area of interaction with the fetus. Conclusion Since training attachment behaviors has had effects on different dimensions of paternal-fetal attachment, thus through training and its associated counseling, the necessary grounds can be provided for enhancing the attachment and in turn increasing the paternal role for the cares of their spouse's pregnancy.