Cesarean childbirth and psychosocial outcomes: A meta-analysis.
Abstract
A comprehensive literature review with meta-analysis examines the differences between vaginal and cesarean delivery on 23 psychosocial outcomes of childbirth. The most robust findings suggest that cesarean mothers, compared with mothers who delivered vaginally, expressed less immediate and long-term satisfaction with the birth, were less likely ever to breast-feed, experienced a much longer time to first interaction with their infants, had less positive reactions to them after birth, and interacted less with them at home. Some differences were also found between unplanned and planned cesarean sections; none were found between birthing methods for maternal confidence for infant caretaking soon after birth, maternal anxiety in the hospital and at home, maternal stress at home, maternal return to work, and continuation of breast-feeding once begun. Implications of these findings for theory, research, and childbirth practice are discussed.
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Women who deliver via cesarean birth versus vaginally report a less satisfactory birth experience, have higher rates of postpartum depression and are more likely to have difficulty breastfeeding.
“Given that women who deliver via cesarean birth versus vaginally report a less satisfactory birth experience,31 have higher rates of postpartum depression and are more likely to have difficulty breastfeeding,23,31”
From Women’s experiences of skin-to-skin cesarean birth compared to standard cesarean birth: a qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [31]
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Gamble, J. A., & Creedy, D. K. (2000) · Birth · doi:10.1046/j.1523-536x.2000.00256.x · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Sword, W., Kurtz Landy, C., Thabane, L., Watt, S., Krueger, P., Farine, D., & Foster, G. (2011) · BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology · doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.2011.02950.x · Cited by 157 · see citing works
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Tadevosyan, M., Ghazaryan, A., Harutyunyan, A., Petrosyan, V., Atherly, A., & Hekimian, K. (2019) · BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth · doi:10.1186/s12884-018-2158-6 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Machold, C. A., O’Rinn, S. E., McKellin, W. H., Ballantyne, G., & Barrett, J. F. R. (2021) · CMAJ Open · doi:10.9778/cmajo.20200079 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
- Authors
- DiMatteo, M. R., Morton, S. C., Lepper, H. S., Damush, T. M., Carney, M. F., Pearson, M., & Kahn, K. L.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- RAND Corporation (US)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- ORCID
- Damush, Teresa M.
- Venue
- Health Psychology
- Published
- 1996
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 303-314
- ISSN
- 0278-6133 (ISSN-L)
- 1930-7810
- OpenAlex
- W2031164711
- Cited by
- 247
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 64 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 1.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Breastfeeding Practices and Influences
- Keywords
- cesarean section, vaginal delivery, childbirth satisfaction, breastfeeding, mother-infant interaction, unplanned cesarean section, maternal anxiety, maternal stress, maternal confidence, return to work
- MeSH terms
- Breast Feeding, Cesarean Section, Family Health, Female, Fertility, Humans, Maternal Behavior, Mother-Child Relations, Mothers, Pregnancy, Confidence Intervals, Postpartum Period
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