Concerns of women regarding pregnancy and childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic

Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn R.; Hervey, Ashley M.; Neil, Tara; Kuhlmann, Stephanie; Kuhlmann, Zachary

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2020.09.031

Cited by 80 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…In our cohort of pregnant Black women from the Midwest, a high proportion reported being very much worried about their child, family members, friends, and themselves getting infected. This mirrors results found in another study conducted in the Midwest among a diverse group of pregnant and postpartum women where a high proportion of women similarly reported being very concerned about COVID‐19 (Ahlers‐Schmidt et al., 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Stress and coping among pregnant black women during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Wheeler

Misra

Giurgescu

2021

Public Health Nursing

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Objective This study explored stress and coping among pregnant Black women prior to and during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design Prospective, longitudinal, cohort study. Sample Thirty‐three women enrolled in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births study prior to the COVID‐19 pandemic and who were still pregnant during the pandemic. Measurements Questionnaires included the Perceived Stress Scale, Prenatal Coping Inventory, and questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, worry about COVID‐19, and coping strategies used during the pandemic. Results Women reported very much being worried about my child getting COVID‐19 (46%) and my family member getting COVID‐19 (46%). Women reported specific active coping strategies very much reduced their feelings of discomfort during COVID‐19: God, religion, or spirituality (24%), social media (24%), and following government advice (24%). Higher use of avoidance coping prior to the pandemic was associated with higher levels of stress both prior to (r = 0.60, p < .001) and during (r = 0.47, p < .01) the pandemic. Conclusion Women reported worries about COVID‐19 and used various strategies to cope with feelings of discomfort due to the pandemic. Nurses should assess the stress level of pregnant Black women and recommend active coping strategies during the pandemic.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Stress and coping among pregnant black women during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Wheeler

Misra

Giurgescu

2021

Public Health Nursing

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“…In Italy, Ravaldi et al [ 28 ] reported birth expectations completely changed after the onset of COVID-19 to include fear, sadness and uncertainty. Ahlers–Schmidt et al [ 29 ] carried out an electronic survey with a 51% response rate of pregnant women or mothers of infants less than 12 months, 82.5% of whom reported changes in mental status, including an increase of anxious thoughts related to the COVID-19 pandemic of 50%. In Italy, almost half of the women (46%) in an interview reported high anxiety regarding risks of vertical transmission of the disease [ 30 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Maternal Anxiety in Brazil

Nomura

Tavares

Ubinha

et al. 2021

JCM

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Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have an effect on maternal anxiety and influence postpartum experience. Objective: To study the prevalence of maternal anxiety in late pregnancy in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak in Brazil and to analyze its association with maternal knowledge and concerns about the pandemic. Methods: This was a national multicenter cross-sectional study performed in 10 different public university hospitals, between 1 June and 31 August 2020, in Brazil. The inclusion criteria were: maternal age more than 18 years; gestational age more than 36 weeks at childbirth; single alive newborn without malformations; and absence of mental disorders. We applied a structured questionnaire to explore the knowledge and concerns about COVID-19. Maternal anxiety was assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Results: Of the 1662 women interviewed, the BAI score in late pregnancy indicated that 13.9% presented moderate and 9.6% severe maternal anxiety. Moderate or severe maternal anxiety was independently associated with the fear of being unaccompanied at childbirth (aOR1.12, 95% CI 1.10–1.35), and independent protective factors were confidence in knowing how to protect oneself from COVID-19 (aOR0.89, 95% CI 0.82–0.97) and how to safely breastfeed (aOR0.89, 95% CI 0.83–0.95). Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on maternal anxiety.

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“…Many people have lost their jobs and income, including people in households with pregnant women. This further increases the mental health burden of pregnant women [27][28][29]. In addition, pregnant women who work also face severe psychological stress [30].…”

Section: (Covid-19) Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%