Antenatal anxiety in pregnant women from rural Cambodia.

This article is a report of a grounded theory study of pregnancy and childbirth experiences of women in rural Cambodia. Antenatal anxiety and depression have been linked to adverse outcomes of preterm delivery and low birth weight in the baby. Recent study findings from Cambodia reveal high levels of clinically significant antenatal anxiety and depression with consequent links to low birth weight in the infant. Thirteen in-depth interviews with rural pregnant women were conducted in December 2008 over 3 days during the midwifery outreach service to the villages. The research process followed the principles of grounded theory methodology. Four core categories were identified during the interview analysis: fear of childbirth, lack of information, traditional versus allopathic practice, and access to the government midwife. Childbirth causes fear, largely owing to a lack of knowledge about the normal physiological process and fear of death in the case of complications due to poor access to health services. Traditional and allopathic practice largely ran in parallel or in contradiction to each other but there were some examples of successful integration. Most of the interviewees wanted more contact with the government midwife. This could be an opportunity to share information in a confidential, non-threatening but informative relationship while reducing anxiety and consequences for the mother and her child. These categories can be extrapolated to the wider context highlighting complex barriers to women accessing midwifery care, while emphasizing the negative impact of anxiety on fetal wellbeing and the role of accurate information and professional support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]