Fear of childbirth, anxiety and depression in three groups of primiparous pregnant women not attending, irregularly attending and regularly attending childbirth preparation classes

Abstract

Background: Lack of knowledge and fear of the unknown during pregnancy and childbirth make mothers fearful, worried, and anxious. Maternal fear and anxiety can lead to problems such as preterm childbirth and low birth weight. Increasing women's knowledge through prenatal education can prepare them for childbirth and improve their health. The present study was conducted to compare fear of childbirth, anxiety and depression during pregnancy in three groups of primiparous pregnant women who were either not attending, irregularly attending, or regularly attending childbirth preparation classes. Methods: A total of 204 primiparous pregnant women attending health centers in Tabriz, Iran, were selected by cluster sampling and assigned to the following three groups: Not attending, irregularly attending (attending one to three sessions of classes) and regularly attending (attending four to eight sessions of classes). Childbirth fear, pregnancy anxiety and depression questionnaires were completed for them through interviews. The general linear model was used to compare their fear of childbirth and prenatal anxiety and depression. Results: According to the general linear model, the scores of fear of childbirth (p < 0.001), anxiety (p < 0.001) and depression (p = 0.006) were significantly lower in the group of pregnant women regularly attending the classes compared to the non-attending group of women. No significant differences were observed between the regularlyattending and irregularly-attending groups in terms of fear of childbirth (p = 0.066), anxiety (p = 0.078), and depression (p = 0.128). Conclusion: Prenatal training can reduce fear, anxiety and depression in primiparous women. Incorporating such training into prenatal care helps improve maternal health.

Related Psychosocial Factors and Delivery Mode of Depression and Anxiety in Primipara in Late Pregnancy

“…Due to the lack of birth experience, the depression and anxiety state of primipara in the third trimester of pregnancy may be much higher than that of multipara [3]. On the one hand, depression and anxiety can damage the functions of various systems and organs of women and even cause fetal growth restriction, abnormal labor process, postpartum hemorrhage, delayed lactation, neonatal asphyxia, and other complications during pregnancy and delivery [4][5][6] and increase the cesarean section rate without obstetric indications. On the other hand, it also has a very bad adverse impact on the development of maternal-fetal relationship, neonatal social cognition, and social behavior [7].…”

Prevalence and Factors Affecting the Labor Experience: A Systematic Review

“…Women who are ready to give birth, have labor scheduled, and are intentionally pregnant, have a more positive and enjoyable labor experience (Hassanzadeh et al, 2020;Henriksen et al, 2017).…”

“…In cases of anxiety and stress, epinephrine levels increase, leading to decreased uterine activity and prolonged labor. Hence, women who are more afraid of labor are more likely to give birth by forceps, emergency cesarean delivery and analgesic use, resulting in a higher rate of negative labor experiences (Hassanzadeh et al, 2020).…”

“…In addition, the effect of childbirth on women and the influence of different variables on the conception and experience of women's labor need to be explored. This study aims to examine the prevalence and factors that influence childbirth experience so that planning and strategies are appropriate (Hassanzadeh et al, 2020).…”

Factors of The Childbirth Fear Among Nulliparous Women In Iran

“…In general, FOC may have several risks, such as abortion, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression [13,15], risk of birth trauma such as stula [17], risk of dystocia [18], hypertension and preeclampsia [19], preterm labor [20], labor intolerable pain, reduced quality of life [16], as well as harmful effects on the children such as LBW and impaired immune system [9,13,20]. Therefore, FOC and its complications are likely to increase obstetric interventions and subsequent health care costs [19,21].…”