A consecutive unselected series of 139 pregnant women were personally interviewed during their 31st-33rd week of gestation concerning their feelings at the prospect of the anticipated delivery. A severe fear of childbirth was admitted by 9 women (6%), and another 23 (17%) expressed a more moderate, but still distinct fear of delivery. Fear of physical pain was not found to be a dominant contributing factor, and an augmented service for obstetrical analgesia will, therefore, not suffice to curtail the problem of fear of childbirth. Instead, fear of childbirth, if present, must be promptly identified and correctly evaluated to be adequately treated.
An unselected, consecutive series of 139 third-trimester pregnant women was investigated concerning ‘fear of delivery’. Two methods to identify women with this sentiment were used independently and on the same occasion; i.e. a personal interview and a questionnaire including statements concerning ‘fear of childbirth’ to be affirmed or denied. The results obtained by the two methods were found to correspond well, i.e. much the same women who had verbally expressed significant fear of delivery during a personal interview were also identified by means of the inventory technique. A questionnaire may therefore replace a personal interview as an instrument to conveniently accumulate a sample of pregnant, ‘anxious’ women to be further studied with regard to the possible etiology and various expressions of their ‘fear of giving birth’.
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