ABSTRACT
Objective:
the study aimed to evaluate maternal-fetal attachment, childhood traumas, and character strengths in women who used crack during pregnancy admitted to a public hospital in Porto Alegre.
Methods:
twenty-four pregnant women were interviewed, in a cross-sectional design, and were applied the instruments: Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale and the Characters Strenghts Scale.
Results:
a medium or high degree of maternal-fetal attachment and a high frequency of childhood traumas was found, standing out emotional abuse and physical neglect. There was no significant association between maternal-fetal bonding and the occurrence of trauma in childhood. The character strengths that obtained the highest scores among the pregnant women were bravery, authenticity and love.
Conclusion:
despite the adverse conditions, it was observed that the pregnant women had a high maternal-fetal attachment. Identifying the strengths that stood out may contribute to the more effective treatment of these women, this being a good strategy in the planning of public health policies.
KEYWORDS
Pregnant women; crack cocaine; childhood trauma; maternal-fetal attachment; characters strengths