The DOI matches its Crossref record; 50 of the 50 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Obstetric complications and anxiety during pregnancy: is there a relationship?
Abstract
This review examines the contribution of recent research into the effects of anxiety during pregnancy. The focus of interest is upon the process of labor and delivery rather than its timing or the size of the baby. Therefore studies directed at areas of prematurity or low birthweight are specifically excluded as these have already been well evaluated in the literature. It is known that one proximal cause of obstetric complications is increased hormone levels in the uterus. It seems likely therefore that anxiety, a form of arousal, known to influence hormone levels, may be implicated as a distal determinant of obstetric complications. Attempts to evaluate this hypothesis have been hampered by methodological issues such as: poor definition and measurement of obstetric outcomes, in particular utilizing composite measures of diverse components; inappropriate measurements or over broad conceptualizations of anxiety; failure to account for confounding variables and inadequate sample sizes. On balance the evidence reviewed suggests that a general association between anxiety and obstetric complications per se does not exist, but specific types of anxiety, such as psychosocial stress, family functioning, or fear of childbirth may have associations with specific complications, such as prolonged labor or Cesarean section. Recent studies considering the effect of fear of childbirth, for example, on specific obstetric outcomes, such as type of delivery, have produced more clear-cut relationships. Recommendations for future research into the relationships between specific combinations of types of anxiety and individual obstetric complications are discussed.
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“postpartum depression, PTSD, elevated psychological stress19 and impaired mother–infant bonding.20”
From Determinants of the choice of delivery mode in pregnant women: a convergent parallel mixed-methods study protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [19]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Johnson, R. C., & Slade, P.
- Affiliations
- Chesterfield Royal Hospital (GB)
- University of Sheffield (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Slade, P.
- ORCID
- Slade, P.
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2003-01
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 1-14
- ISSN
- 0167-482X (ISSN-L)
- 1743-8942
- OpenAlex
- W2166496808
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 0.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynecology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Pregnancy-related medical research
- Keywords
- prenatal anxiety, pregnancy complications, labor and delivery, prolonged labor, cesarean section, fear of childbirth, psychosocial stress, family functioning
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Female, Humans, Obstetric Labor Complications, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Psychological Tests
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