Preventing post‐traumatic stress disorder following childbirth and traumatic birth experiences: a systematic review

Graaff, Lisanne F. de; Honig, Adriaan; Pampus, Maria G. van; Stramrood, Claire A. I.

doi:10.1111/aogs.13291

Cited by 121 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(149 reference statements)

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“…The average postpartum satisfaction scores were high (92.8% scored ≥ 8), which may indicate that women two to four weeks postdelivery are really satisfied with their birth. Earlier research found that between 9% and 44% of women experienced childbirth as traumatic and 16.3% looked back negatively on their birth experience . In our study, 4.5% of women reported being less than satisfied with their birth (postpartum satisfaction score ≤ 6).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 44%

Prevalence, characteristics, and satisfaction of women with a birth plan in The Netherlands

Jolles

Vries

Hollander

et al. 2019

Birth

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Background:The use of birth plans to facilitate shared decision making in childbirth is widely recommended by international agencies and by the Dutch Integrated Birth Care protocol (2016). This study evaluated the use of birth plans in The Netherlands. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted during 2017 in a Dutch academic hospital. Women who gave birth after 33 weeks of gestational age were included (N = 1159). Medical records were searched for a birth plan, either a note or attached file. Socio-demographic, relevant medical and obstetrical characteristics fulfilling criteria for secondary care, and postpartum satisfaction were collected and related to birth plans. Postpartum satisfaction was scored on a scale from 0 to 10. The "net promoter score" (NPS), a quality of care indicator, was also computed. For analysis, independent t test, chi-square test, ANOVA, and two-way between ANOVA were used. Results: A birth plan was noted in the medical records of 34.7% of women. Women with a birth plan were on average older, primiparous, of Dutch ethnicity, and more likely to have a complicated medical history, psychological condition, or fertility treatment. The mean postpartum satisfaction score was 8.28 and the NPS for customer satisfaction was 36.1, falling in the good range. No significant differences in postpartum satisfaction related to birth plans were found. Conclusions: Although birth plans are recommended for every pregnant woman, this is not everyday practice yet. The purpose of birth plans, to facilitate shared decision making, is therefore not fully realized. Implementation strategies are needed to increase adoption of birth plans for every woman. K E Y W O R D S birth care plan, birth plan, satisfaction, shared decision making How to cite this article: Jolles MW, de Vries M, Hollander MH, van Dillen J. Prevalence, characteristics, and satisfaction of women with a birth plan in The Netherlands. Birth. 2019;46:686-692.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 44%

Prevalence, characteristics, and satisfaction of women with a birth plan in The Netherlands

Jolles

Vries

Hollander

et al. 2019

Birth

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“…This study shows that it is of importance not only to take into account the risk of medical and physical outcomes in women with a previous CD but also acting on the risk of negative birth experience, since this can have long-term implications on the woman and her family [2][3][4]. An unplanned CD is associated with negative birth experience in the 1 st birth, confirming that this group of women are a more sensitive group [5].…”

Section: Interpretationssupporting

confidence: 59%

“…Anticipating triumph and delight, most women accept the possible difficulties of labor as part of a process to achieve a positive outcome for them and their child [1]. One in 10 have a negative birth experience which can affect the everyday life of the woman and her family, impair bonding with the newborn, even prolong birth intervals and impair future fertility [2][3][4][5]. A positive childbirth experience is an important aspect of intrapartum care and is highlighted in the new World Health Organization (WHO) guideline [6].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk of negative birth experience in trial of labor after cesarean delivery: A population-based cohort study

et al. 2020

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Background To improve care for women going through trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC), we need to understand their birth experience better. We investigated the association between mode of delivery on birth experience in second birth among women with a first cesarean. Methods A population-based cohort study based on the Swedish Pregnancy Register with 808 women with a first cesarean and eligible for TOLAC in 2014-2017. Outcomes were mean birth experience measured by visual analogue scale (VAS) score from 1-10 and having a negative birth experience defined as VAS score �5. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed with β-estimates and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results Mean VAS score among women with an elective repeat cesarean (n = 251 (31%)), vaginal birth (n = 388 (48%)) or unplanned repeat cesarean (n = 169 (21%)) in second birth were 8.8 (standard deviation SD 1.4), 8.0 (SD 2.0) and 7.6 (SD 2.1), respectively. Compared to women having an elective repeat cesarean, women having an unplanned repeat cesarean delivery had five-fold higher odds of negative birth experience (adjusted OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.5-16.5). Women having a first elective cesarean and a subsequent unplanned repeat cesarean delivery had the highest odds of negative birth experience (crude OR 7.3, 95% CI 1.5-35.5). Conclusions Most women with a first cesarean scored their second birth experience as positive irrespective of mode of delivery. However, the odds of a negative birth experience increased among women having an unplanned repeat cesarean delivery, especially when the first cesarean delivery was elective.

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“…Women and partners indicate that they want support for birth trauma (Ayers et al, 2006;Etheridge and Slade, 2017), but multilevel barriers exist to accessing perinatal mental health services (Smith et al, 2019). On an individual level, parents can lack awareness of perinatal mental health symptoms (Russell et al, 2017;Das and Hodkinson, 2019), stigma can exist around disclosing mental health concerns (NCT, 2017), and guilt at being emotionally unwell at a perceived time of happiness (Smith et al, 2019). Partners may be particularly reluctant to seek help for their own perinatal mental health (Darwin et al, 2017), and can feel unjustified talking about birth trauma when they witnessed the trauma as oppose to women who go through the physical process of birth (Etheridge and Slade, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health care practitioners’ views of the support women, partners, and the couple relationship require for birth trauma: current practice and potential improvements

Delicate

Ayers

McMullen

2020

Prim Health Care Res Dev

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Aim: To examine health care practitioners’ views of the support women, partners, and the couple relationship require when affected by birth trauma, barriers to gaining such support, and potential improvements. Background: Ongoing distress following psychologically traumatic childbirth, also known as birth trauma, can affect women, partners, and the couple relationship. Birth trauma can lead to post traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or disorder (PTSD). Whilst there is a clear system of care for a PTSD diagnosis, support for the more prevalent experience of birth trauma is not well-defined. Method: An online survey of health care practitioners’ views of the support parents require for birth trauma, barriers to accessing support, and potential improvements. Practitioners were recruited in 2018 and the sample for the results presented in the article ranged from 95 to 110. Results: Practitioners reported differing needs of support for women, partners, and the couple as a unit. There was correlation between practitioners reporting having the skills and knowledge to support couples and feeling confident in giving support. The support most commonly offered by practitioners to reduce the impact on the couple relationship was listening to the couple. However practitioners perceived the most effective support was referral to a debriefing service. Practitioners observed several barriers to both providing support and parents accessing support, and improvements to birth trauma support were suggested. Conclusions: Practitioners indicate that some women, partners, and the couple as a unit require support with birth trauma and that barriers exist to accessing effective support. The support that is currently provided often conflicts with practitioners’ perception of what is most effective. Practitioners indicate a need to improve the identification of parents who need support with birth trauma, and more suitable services to support them.

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Preventing post‐traumatic stress disorder following childbirth and traumatic birth experiences: a systematic review

Cited by 121 publications

References 47 publications

Prevalence, characteristics, and satisfaction of women with a birth plan in The Netherlands

Prevalence, characteristics, and satisfaction of women with a birth plan in The Netherlands

Risk of negative birth experience in trial of labor after cesarean delivery: A population-based cohort study

Health care practitioners’ views of the support women, partners, and the couple relationship require for birth trauma: current practice and potential improvements

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