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Cited by 170Maternal and Perinatal Health InterventionsMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and PostpartumPosttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

What makes labour and birth traumatic? A survey of intrapartum ‘hotspots’

Open access
Harris, Rachel, Ayers, Susan·2012·Psychology & Health
DOI 10.1080/08870446.2011.649755
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Abstract

Evidence suggests between 1% and 6% of women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. 'Hotspots' are moments of extreme distress during traumatising events that are implicated in symptoms of PTSD. This cross-sectional internet survey of hotspots examined (1) the content of intrapartum hotspots and (2) whether particular events, cognitions or emotions during hotspots are related to PTSD. Women (N = 675) who experienced a difficult or traumatic birth completed a questionnaire composed of a validated measure of PTSD, questions concerning the existence of hotspots, and a newly developed measure of emotions and cognitions during hotspots. The majority of women (67.4%) reported at least one hotspot during birth and 52.9% had re-experiencing symptoms of these hotspots. Women were more likely to have PTSD if hotspots involved fear and lack of control (odds ratio (OR) 1.30, 95% CI 1.17-1.43) or intrapartum dissociation (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05-1.19). Risk of PTSD was higher if hotspots concerned interpersonal difficulties (OR 4.34, 95% CI 2.15-8.77) or obstetric complications (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.64-6.87) compared to complications with the baby.

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  • Quantitative studies have established prevalence rates of traumatic childbirth, but primarily rely on subjective self-reports or postpartum PTSD scales, which may vary widely and lack standardized assessment tools tailored to the specific experiences of traumatic childbirth.

    “While quantitative studies have established prevalence rates of traumatic childbirth, these studies primarily rely on subjective self-reports or postpartum PTSD scales, which may vary widely and lack standardized assessment tools tailored to the specific experiences of traumatic childbirth [14, 15].”

    From The traumatic childbirth experience of mothers after emergency cesarean section(EmCS) in China: a descriptive qualitative study (2025) · cites this paper as [15]

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Authors
Harris, R., & Ayers, S.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • University of Sussex (GB)
Corresponding author
Ayers, Susan
ORCID
Venue
Psychology & Health
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2012-10
Volume
27
Issue
10
Pages
1166-1177
ISSN
  • 0887-0446 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-8321
DOI
10.1080/08870446.2011.649755
OpenAlex
W2062260786
Cited by
170
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5
FWCI
4.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychology and Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • City Research Online (City University London) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
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
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, childbirth, traumatic birth, fear, lack of control, re-experiencing symptoms, interpersonal problems, pregnancy complications
MeSH terms
Adult, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Fear, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Middle Aged, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Delivery, Obstetric, Young Adult

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