Childbirth fear in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic: key predictors and associated birth outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Childbirth fear, which has been argued to have an adaptive basis, exists on a spectrum. Pathologically high levels of childbirth fear is a clinical condition called tokophobia. As a chronic stressor in pregnancy, tokophobia could impact birth outcomes. Many factors associated with tokophobia, including inadequate labor support, were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology

We used longitudinally collected data from a convenience sample of 1775 pregnant persons in the USA to evaluate the association between general and COVID-19 pandemic-related factors and tokophobia using the fear of birth scale. We also assessed associations between tokophobia, low birth weight and preterm birth when adjusting for cesarean section and other covariates amon

SUBMITTER: Thayer ZM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10114526 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature