Influence of Rooming-in techniques and mode of delivery on early mother infant bonding

To compare the effect rooming-in practices and vaginal birth versus cesarean delivery on the quality of early mother–infant bonding during the immediate postpartum period

quasi-experimental design

PNS HAFEEZ

Inclusion criteria: Primigravida aged 18 to 40 years, with a single, full-term pregnancy (38–42 weeks of gestation), classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status II planned for vaginal delivery . Exclusion criteria: Women were excluded who had multiple gestation (twins or triplets), known major fetal anomalies or a history of significant psychiatric illness

Group-VD (vaginal delivery) Group-CD (cesarean delivey)

PBQ SCORE

Blinding: Due to the nature of the study, complete blinding was not feasible. Participants (mothers) were aware of their mode of delivery and rooming-in status, and the healthcare providers (obstetricians, nurses, and midwives) responsible for routine maternal and neonatal care were also aware of these interventions as they were part of standard clinical management. The principal investigator supervised recruitment and data collection but did not influence clinical management or allocation to study groups. Data collectors administered the questionnaires using a standardized protocol without influencing participants' responses. Outcome assessment was based on the validated Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ), which was completed by the mothers themselves, thereby minimizing assessor bias. During statistical analysis, datasets were coded and group identifiers were anonymized so that the statistician remained blinded to group allocation until completion of the primary analysis. A Data Safety and Monitoring Board was not constituted because this was a non-interventional observational study with no experimental intervention or safety concerns. Manuscript preparation and interpretation of results were performed after completion of the blinded statistical analysis using anonymized group codes.