Prenatal Haptonomy-Based Support

Official title

Effects of Haptonomy-Based Support Approaches in the Prenatal Period on Prenatal Attachment and Perceived Partner Support - A Randomized Controlled Study

Overview

This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial to be conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal outpatient clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital who meet the inclusion criteria. Data will be collected between April 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027. Eligible participants will be informed about the study objectives, procedures, potential benefits and risks, and voluntary participation principles. Written informed consent will be obtained prior to enrollment. Participant confidentiality will be ensured in accordance with data protection regulations, and unique identification codes will be assigned. At baseline (T0), participants will complete the Personal Information Form, Prenatal Attachment Inventory (PAI), and Spousal Support Scale (SSS). Following baseline assessment, participants will be randomly allocated into one of three groups: Partner-supported haptonomy group Mother-supported haptonomy group Midwife-supported haptonomy group The haptonomy-based intervention will be delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks in a hospital-based setting. Each session will last approximately 30 minutes and will follow a standardized protocol including structured affective touch, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. All sessions will be conducted by a research assistant who completed the Prenatal Haptonomy Instructor Training (January 29-31, 2026). The principal investigator will supervise and monitor the scientific integrity of the study. Outcome assessments will be conducted at three time points: T0 (Baseline): Prior to intervention T1 (Post-session 1): 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session T2 (Post-intervention): 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session The Prenatal Attachment Inventory and Spousal Support Scale will be re-administered at T1 and T2. Data completeness will be checked after each assessment.

Detailed description

This study is a three-arm randomized controlled trial to be conducted among pregnant women attending the antenatal outpatient clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital who meet the inclusion criteria. Data will be collected between April 1, 2026, and April 30, 2027. Participants will receive verbal and written information about the study, written informed consent will be obtained, and all data will be stored using coded identifiers in accordance with confidentiality principles.

At baseline (T0), participants will complete the Personal Information Form, Prenatal Attachment Inventory, and Spousal Support Scale. Participants will then be randomly assigned to one of three groups: partner-supported haptonomy, mother-supported haptonomy, or midwife-supported haptonomy. The haptonomy-based intervention will be delivered over three consecutive weeks, once per week, following a standardized protocol, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes and conducted in a hospital setting. Interventions will be carried out by a research assistant trained in prenatal haptonomy and scientifically supervised by the principal investigator.

Haptonomy sessions will include structured affective touch, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and session closure, with no invasive procedures involved. Outcome assessments will be conducted at three time points: prior to the intervention (T0), 24-48 hours after the first session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third session (T2). The Prenatal Attachment Inventory and Spousal Support Scale will be re-administered at T1 and T2. Collected data will be analyzed using statistical methods to evaluate the effects of haptonomy-based support approaches on prenatal attachment and perceived partner support.

Interventions

• Behavioral Prenatal Haptonomy-Based Support
  A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted with the participation of the pregnant woman's partner. The protocol includes affective touch facilitated by the partner, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
• Behavioral Mother-Supported Haptonomy Group
  A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted with the participation of the pregnant woman's mother. The protocol includes affective touch facilitated by the mother, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.
• Behavioral Midwife-Supported Haptonomy Group
  A structured haptonomy-based prenatal support intervention delivered once weekly for three consecutive weeks. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes and is conducted by a trained midwife. The protocol includes affective touch provided by the midwife, body awareness facilitation, emotional observation, and structured session closure. The intervention is conducted in a hospital setting.

Primary outcome measures

• Prenatal Attachment [Time frame: Baseline (T0), 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session (T2)]

Secondary outcome measures (1)

• Perceived Partner Support [Time frame: Baseline (T0), 24-48 hours after the first haptonomy session (T1), and 24-48 hours after the third haptonomy session (T2)]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Pregnant women aged 18-45 years
• Attending antenatal follow-up at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Hospital
• Gestational age between 20 and 32 weeks
• Ability to communicate in Turkish
• Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• High-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, placenta previa, gestational diabetes requiring insulin)
• Diagnosed psychiatric disorder
• Multiple pregnancy
• Known fetal anomaly
• Participation in another interventional study

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: Yes

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Single group

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Supportive care

Study locations

Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07417384 · TR TOKAT03

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗