Bonding in women with postnatal anaemia: a pilot case control study looking at postnatal bonding in women who have been diagnosed with anaemia at a University Hospital in the East of England

Anaemia is common postpartum; however, the effect of anaemia on mother-infant bonding is presently unknown. This case controlled study was designed to evaluate the effects of anaemia on mother and baby bonding in the first month following delivery. 945 consecutive postpartum women who gave birth at home or in the obstetric unit at a university hospital in the East of England were identified from the hospital computer records. Blood counts had been performed on 279 of these women within 48 h of delivery, entirely at the discretion of the clinical team. The women with available blood count data were sent a self-reporting questionnaire which included a validated postpartum bonding questionnaire (PBQ) [1]. Data were collected from the 115 (41%) responses and analysed for the evidence of an effect of anaemia on bonding. 57 (50%) of women responding to the questionnaire were anaemic (haemoglobin < 10 g/dL). There was no evidence of a difference between maternal, age, parity, mode of delivery, gestational age, baby weight or baby age at the time of completing questionnaire between the anaemic and non-anaemic groups. Moreover, there was no evidence of a difference in maternal perception of mother-infant bonding between the anaemic and non-anaemic groups. Our study suggested no evidence of an association between postnatal anaemia and the mother's ability to bond with the baby; however a small but significant effect may still exist which we were not able to detect due to a possible lack of power, hence we suggest, further larger studies to be conducted.