The effect of maternal anxiety during delivery on birth outcomes

Year 2021, Volume: 35 Issue: 3, 283 - 290, 30.12.2021

Ayşe Rabia Şenkaya

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Birth anxiety can be defined as the fear of direct pain, the fear of the birth process. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of anxiety level at the time of birth on the birth process and maternal and neonatal outcomes.
Materials and Methods: Anxiety scores of the patients were recorded. Demographic data of the patients, cervical examination findings, place of residence, education level, type of delivery, APGAR score, presence of episiotomy or dehiscence in normal deliveries, 1st, 2nd and 3rd stages of labor, analgesia needs, prenatal and postnatal hemoglobin variability were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups as those with low (n=76) and moderate/high (n=24) anxiety levels, and the effect of anxiety level on birth outcomes was compared.
Results: 53.9% (n=41) of pregnant women with low level of anxiety were nulliparous, and 91.7% (n=22) of patients with moderate/high level of anxiety were nulliparous (p=0.001). Postpartum hemoglobin change in pregnants with low level of anxiety, was higher than the pregnant women with moderate/high level of anxiety (p=0.00). A statistically significant relationship was found between age and anxiety level, the anxiety score of younger pregnant women was significantly higher (p=0.001).
Conclusion: Although we did not find a statistically significant relationship between prepartum anxiety level and fetal and neonatal outcomes in our study, the amount of bleeding was less in pregnant women with low anxiety. We also concluded that previous birth experience and maternal age affect the anxiety score.
Keywords: Anxiety, birth, fear, fetal, maternal

Keywords

Anxiety, birth, fear, fetal, maternal

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