Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation into French of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale

Pernoud, Anthony, Taylor, Alyx, De Luca, Roberta, Marci, Roberto, Timmins, Elodie, Potter, Katherine and Bothorel, Hugo (2025) Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation into French of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale. Patient Related Outcome Measures, 2025. pp. 85-92. ISSN 1179-271X

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Abstract

Purpose: Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are relevant for assessing the bond between a mother and her child, both before and after childbirth. Several questionnaires have been developed with the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) prominent among them, as it is a valid and easy-to-administer questionnaire owing to its length. Even though, this PROM has been adapted in Japanese, Indonesian and Swedish, it remains to be translated into French. The objective of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the MIBS into French (MIBS-Fr). Patients and Methods: The translation and cultural-adaptation of the questionnaire were performed following a 10-step process as recommended by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). During the cognitive debriefing, each item of the questionnaire was rated between 1 to 10 according to the comprehension level by 11 mothers. Results: The French version was very well understood with a mean level of comprehension of 9.7 ± 1.4 out of 10. The one-word descriptor used to express feelings in the original version was replaced by phrases in the French version for a better language adaptation. Slight modifications were made by the original developer, and back translations were found to be very consistent. Conclusion: This study reports the development of a French version of the MIBS (MIBS-Fr) following the ISPOR’s recommendations for the translation and intercultural adaptation of a questionnaire. The MIBS-Fr provides French-speaking healthcare professionals with a practical and standardized tool to assess mother-to-infant bonding, facilitating early identification of bonding difficulties and supporting appropriate interventions in postpartum care. Plain Language Summary: Understanding the emotional bond between a mother and her newborn is important because it can impact the child’s development and well-being. Healthcare professionals use different questionnaires to measure this bond, but one commonly used tool, the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), was not yet available in French. Our study aimed to create a French version of the MIBS (MIBS-Fr) so it can be used by French-speaking mothers. To do this, we followed an internationally recognized process for translation and cultural adaptation. This included translating the questionnaire, reviewing it with experts, and testing it with 11 mothers in a maternity unit to ensure clarity and accuracy. The final French version was well understood, with an average comprehension score of 9.7 out of 10. Some words were adjusted to better reflect emotions in French while keeping the meaning of the original scale. This new version of the MIBS allows French-speaking mothers to accurately express their feelings about their bond with their baby. It will help healthcare professionals assess and support mother-infant relationships in French-speaking communities.

Item Type:	Article
Schools:	School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences
Depositing User:	Bridget Roberts
Date Deposited:	19 Jun 2025 09:00
Last Modified:	19 Jun 2025 09:00
URI:	https://hsu.repository.guildhe.ac.uk/id/eprint/534

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