Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the features of perinatal attachment according to each type of internal working models, for determine whether a relation exists between the mother's internal working models (IWMs) and perinatal attachment by using the Muller's attachment model.
A prospective study was performed with data collected during the third trimester of pregnancy and 1 month after delivery, and the following results were obtained.
1) There was a modest correlation between prenatal and postnatal attachment.
2) Mother's internal working models are classified into 3 types: Secure, Ambivalent and Avoidant. The prenatal attachment score of the secure type mother was significantly higher.
3) In the secure type mother, there was a strong correlation between prenatal and postnatal attachment. In ambivalent and avoidant type mothers, the correlation between prenatal and postnatal attachment was week.
The results demonstrated a relation between the mother's internal working models and perinatal attachment in Müller's model. IWMs is one of the key concepts in assessing the subject of inter-generational transmission of attachment, IWMs must be considered not only postnatally but in the prenatal period as well.
