Prematurity and the associated maternal-infant separation after birth can affect the attachment
process. The role of nurses in facilitating the process of attachment should be based on an understanding
of these behaviors. This descriptive study explored the attachment behaviors demonstrated
by mothers during their first visit with their premature infant in the neonatal care unit. The
results revealed that all mothers demonstrated most attachment behaviors (ie, inspection, facial
expression, touching, verbal expression, and eye-to-eye contact) except holding during their first
visit. However, some mothers spent little time with their infant. The findings suggest that nurses
should encourage mothers to interact with their infants in order to enhance maternal-infant attachment.