Search

Aim: A positive pregnancy experience can be a good start for healthy motherhood. This study aimed to investigate Iranian women's pregnancy experience and how self‐reported hassles and uplifts influence birth experience, postpartum depression and anxiety, and the association between childbirth experience and postpartum mental health. Design: A prospective descriptive study. Methods: A prospective descriptive study was conducted among 228 pregnant women from health centres in Tabriz, Iran. From the 28th to 36th weeks of pregnancy, participants completed the Pregnancy Experience Scale. Then, the mothers were followed up until 4–6 weeks postpartum, and Childbirth Experience Questionnaires version 2.0, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression and the short form of Specific Postpartum Anxiety Scales were completed. The data were analysed using the general linear model. Results: After adjusting for possible confounding variables, there was no statistically significant association between women's pregnancy and childbirth experiences. However, the mean scores of postpartum depression and anxiety were significantly higher in women who felt unhappy about the discomforts that they experienced during pregnancy (β [95% CI] = 0.01 [0.01–0.02]; p < 0.001, 0.22 [0.09–0.35]; p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: There was a significant statistical reverse association between childbirth experience and postpartum anxiety and depression. The study demonstrated a significant association between women's pregnancy, birth experiences and postpartum psychological outcomes. Implementing interventions that create a positive pregnancy experience will likely have an impact on reducing the prevalence of postpartum depression and anxiety. Patient or Public Contribution: Pregnant women participated solely in the data collection by responding to the questionnaires. No participant contributions were required for the study's design, outcome measurement or implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childbirth experience is shaped by the labor and delivery process. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between childbirth experience, subsequent postpartum maternal functioning and mental health. A total of 483 mothers in the first 4–16 weeks postpartum participated in this cross-sectional study. The cluster random sampling method was used to select the participants. The Questionnaire for Assessing the Childbirth Experience, Mental Health Inventory, and the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning were completed through interviews. The mean childbirth experience, mental health, and maternal functioning scores were 1.6 (0.4), 79.1 (15.0), and 97.4 (13.0), respectively. There was a significant correlation between the total mental health and maternal functioning scores and all its subscales with childbirth experience scores (P<0.001). Results from the general linear model pointed to a significant correlation between maternal functioning and childbirth experience (P<0.001), as well as between receiving support for infant care (P<0.001) and family income adequacy (P=0.006). Mental health was also significantly correlated with childbirth experience (P<0.001), complete life satisfaction (P<0.001), and receiving support for infant care (P=0.025). Supportive care provision services may improve mothers' birth experiences, which leads to enhanced postpartum maternal functioning and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of pregnancy symptoms inventory. A methodological study. This study was conducted on 220 pregnant women. Construct validity was measured by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was measured by intra-class correlation coefficient and internal consistency. Since the items 12 (snoring) and 16 (thrush) failed to obtain the minimum principal axis factoring in exploratory factor analysis, they were removed from the Persian version. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit for the extracted model. Cronbach's alpha was.94 for the frequency items and.95 for the limitation items. Intra-class correlation coefficient was between.58 and 1 for frequency items and between.73 and 1 for limitation items. The Persian version of pregnancy symptoms inventory was a valid and reliable scale to be used for Iranian pregnant women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to their unique circumstances, pregnant women face a heightened risk of experiencing pregnancy complications during and after catastrophic events. This study aims to investigate the consequences of both natural and man-made disasters on pregnancy outcomes., Method: This study is a systematic review. Searches were performed until May 31, 2024, in the electronic databases including Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus. Outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight (LBW), small for gestational age (SGA), stillbirth, spontaneous abortion, and pregnancy-related blood pressure complications were studied., Result: The search conducted in the databases yielded 3307 non-duplicate records. After reading the abstracts, 3204 articles were excluded based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Full texts of 103 article were obtained. However, upon reading the full texts of articles, 13 of them did not meet the inclusion criteria for the study. Consequently, 90 articles were ultimately included., Conclusion: Natural and man-made disasters exert significant influence on adverse pregnancy outcomes. While it is impossible to prevent the incidence of natural disasters and often man-made disasters occur abruptly, the negative consequences of disasters, particularly natural ones, can be mitigated by enhancing prenatal care and avoiding detrimental elements such as smoking and alcohol., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing interests.