Pregnant women sought for mother-baby study

Jacinta Lowes and Felicity Linke
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Felicity Linke and Jacinta Lowes
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Tuesday, 5 February 2002

THE all-important bond between a mother and her baby is the subject of a new study at Adelaide University, the results of which could lead to more and better information about how such bonds are developed.

Two Psychology Masters students, Felicity Linke and Jacinta Lowes, need 100 pregnant women from Adelaide to volunteer for the study, which is believed to be the first of its kind in Australia.

Their work aims to look at several key factors that can impact on the relationship between mothers and their children, from late pregnancy to the first three months of the baby's life.

"The development of the bond between mothers and their babies is an important part of a baby's first months of life, and lays the foundation for healthy development in early childhood," Ms Linke says.

"Through strong, positive relationships, children are more likely to have a 'good start in life'. They are more likely to develop healthy personalities and form positive relationships with others later in life."

Ms Linke and Ms Lowes want to find out what factors influence babies' early development. They will use questionnaires to find out more information about the mother in late pregnancy, and again after the baby is born. Two to four weeks and three months after birth, the baby will also undergo a brief assessment in the home by a trained research psychologist.

"The information gained from this study will add to our understanding of the bond between mothers and babies," Ms Lowes says. "Health professionals also aim to use the findings to enhance relationships between mothers and their babies."

Women who are between 32 and 37 weeks pregnant are encouraged to take part in the study. They must be:

• over 18 years of age
• living in metropolitan Adelaide
• able to read and write English.

At the completion of the study, mothers will be offered a certificate of achievement and a video of the three-month assessment of their baby as a memento of participation in the study.

For further information regarding the study or to register to become involved, call Felicity Linke on 0402 898 106 or Jacinta Lowes on 0407 617 675.

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