Maternal Anxiety During Pregnancy and Childbirth Abnormalities

Statistical analyses of findings from the psychological assessment revealed that women who were later to experience complications and difficulties in childbirth were markedly more anxious during pregnancy.

Abstract

Fifty clinic patients, in the third trimester of pregnancy, were administered a comprehensive battery of psychological tests. Following childbirth, the women were classified by experienced obstetricians into a “normal” subgroup and an “abnormal” subgroup on the basis of signs of delivery room complications and childbirth abnormalities. Statistical analyses of findings from the psychological assessment revealed that women who were later to experience complications and difficulties in childbirth were markedly more anxious during pregnancy.