Fear of childbirth according to parity, gestational age and obstetric history

Rouhe, Hanna; Salmela‐Aro, Katariina; Halmesmäki, Erja; Saisto, Terhi

doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2009.02154.x

Cited by 71 publications

(128 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(13 reference statements)

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“…The finding that 6.2% of unselected pregnant women stated a preference for CS is low but comparable to previous Scandinavian research [22,24,[26][27]. According to a review that included 38 studies worldwide (including few Asian and African studies), the overall pooled preference was 15.6% [28], with the highest rates in the Americas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Pregnant women’s preference for cesarean section and subsequent mode of birth – a six-country cohort study

Ryding

Lukasse

Kristjansdottir

et al. 2016

Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology

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Introduction: The rate of cesarean section (CS) for non-medical reasons has risen and is a concern for health care. Women's preferences may vary across countries for psychosocial or obstetric reasons.Methods: A prospective cohort study of 6,549 women in routine antenatal care, giving birth in Belgium, Iceland, Denmark, Estonia, Norway or Sweden. Preference for mode of birth was self-reported in mid-pregnancy. Birth outcome data were collected from hospital records.Results: A CS was preferred by 3.5% of primiparous women and 8.7% of the multiparous women. Preference for CS was associated with severe fear of childbirth, with a negative birth experience in multiparous women, and with depressive symptoms in the primiparous. Women were somewhat more prone to prefer a cesarean in Iceland, OR 1.70(1.02-2.83), adjusted for age, education, depression, fear of childbirth, history of abuse, previous cesarean and previous negative birth experience. Out of the 404 women who preferred CS during pregnancy, 286 (70.8%) were delivered by CS, mostly for a medical indication. A total of 9% of the cesareans in the cohort had a non-medical indication only.Conclusions: Women's preference for cesarean section often seems to be due to health concerns. Both medical and psychological factors need to be addressed in antenatal counseling. Obstetricians need to convey accurately to women the risks and benefits of CS in her specific case. Maternity professionals should identify and explore psychosocial reasons for women's preferences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 50%

Pregnant women’s preference for cesarean section and subsequent mode of birth – a six-country cohort study

Ryding

Lukasse

Kristjansdottir

et al. 2016

Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology

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“…Antenatal classes have been found to further instill confidence, and lessen fear of childbirth in women [23]. The multiparous sample in this study also held an advantage, having had a prior normal birth, whereas primiparous women have been reported to have higher levels of birth-related fear [24] which has been linked to labour dystocia and emergency caesarean section [25]. Hence the confidence described by this sample is grounded in past experience, and is key to them choosing a homebirth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 73%

Multiparous women's confidence to have a publicly-funded homebirth: A qualitative study

2011

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Background: Hospital birth is commonly thought to be a safer option than homebirth, despite many studies showing similar rates of safety for low risk mothers and babies. Recently in Australia, demand has led to the introduction of a small number of publicly-funded homebirth programs. These offer homebirth to selected women who previously would not have considered this option. Women's confidence in having a homebirth through a publicly-funded homebirth program in Australia has not yet been explored. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the reasons why women feel confident to have a homebirth within a publicly-funded model of care in Australia. Methods: Ten multiparous English-speaking women who chose to have a homebirth with the St George Hospital Homebirth Program were interviewed using semistructured, open-ended questions. A thematic analysis of transcriptions was undertaken. Data were part of a wider set collected as part of a doctoral study. Results: Women demonstrated a strong confidence in their ability to give birth at home and described a confidence in their bodies, their midwives, and the health system. Women weighed up the risks of homebirth through information they gathered and integration with their previous experience of birth, their family support and selfconfidence. Discussion: The publicly-funded hospital homebirth program strengthened the confidence of women to choose this model of care. Conclusion: Women choosing publicly-funded homebirth display strong confidence in both themselves to give birth at home, and their belief in the health system's ability to cope with any complications that may arise.

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“…'Please indicate why you would prefer an epidural (for your partner)? ' 8 A review of the literature revealed more than 10 different self-report measures of childbirth fear (4,5,(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28), ranging from 1-item measures (26,27,29) to a 64-item scale (5). The 33-item Wijma Delivery and Expectancy Questionnaire (WDEQ) (20) is the most commonly employed measure and has been used in several countries (1-3, 30-32).…”

Section: Sample 6 (Usa)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-cultural development and psychometric evaluation of a measure to assess fear of childbirth prior to pregnancy

Stoll

Hauck

Downe

et al. 2016

Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare

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Background: Assessment of childbirth fear, in advance of pregnancy, and early identification of modifiable factors contributing to fear can inform public health initiatives and/or school-based educational programming for the next generation of maternity care consumers. We developed and evaluated a short fear of birth scale that incorporates the most common dimensions of fear reported by men and women prior to pregnancy, fear of: labour pain, being out of control and unable to cope with labour and birth, complications, and irreversible physical damage.Methods: University students in six countries (Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Iceland, and the United States, n=2240) participated in an online survey to assess their fears and attitudes about birth. We report internal consistency reliability, corrected-itemto-total correlations, factor loadings and convergent and discriminant validity of the new scale. Results:The Childbirth Fear -Prior to Pregnancy (CFPP) scale showed high internal consistency across samples (α >0.86). All corrected-item-to total correlations exceeded 0.45, supporting the uni-dimensionality of the scale. Construct validity of the CFPP was supported by a high correlation between the new scale and a two-item visual analog scale that measures fear of birth (r >0.6 across samples). Weak correlations of the CFPP with 2 scores on measures that assess related psychological states (anxiety, depression and stress) support the discriminant validity of the scale. Conclusion:The CFPP is a short, reliable and valid measure of childbirth fear among young women and men in six countries who plan to have children. Highlights• Fear of childbirth can precede pregnancy and is associated with preferences for cesarean section among young men and women who plan to have children in the future.• Assessing fear of birth and associated factors for young adults in different countries is an important first step in understanding why some young women and men are afraid of childbirth and how this issue might be addressed.• We developed a 10-item fear of birth scale that incorporates the main dimensions of fear reported by young adults in the literature, including fear of: labour pain, bodily damage, and complications.• The Childbirth Fear -Prior to Pregnancy (CFPP) scale had high internal consistency reliability across samples, measured one underlying construct, was highly correlated with another measure of childbirth fear, and was weakly correlated with measures of depression, anxiety and stress.

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Fear of childbirth according to parity, gestational age and obstetric history

Cited by 71 publications

References 4 publications

Pregnant women’s preference for cesarean section and subsequent mode of birth – a six-country cohort study

Pregnant women’s preference for cesarean section and subsequent mode of birth – a six-country cohort study

Multiparous women's confidence to have a publicly-funded homebirth: A qualitative study

Cross-cultural development and psychometric evaluation of a measure to assess fear of childbirth prior to pregnancy

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