Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology最新文献

Aims: Postpartum depression is the most common complication after giving birth, affecting 5-26% of mothers. Despite recommendations for perinatal screening, it remains underdiagnosed. Diverse psychological interventions have demonstrated to be effective for depressive symptoms during the perinatal period, and Brief Dynamic Psychotherapy (BDP) working on maternal representations has shown promising results. Clinical guidelines have started to prioritise preventive psychological interventions. This study assesses the efficacy of a brief dynamic, online psychological intervention aimed at preventing postpartum depression, anxiety, and bonding difficulties in women identified to be at risk.

Methods: The study is a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with repeated measures, including an initial assessment and follow-ups at 3 and 9 months postpartum. Of the 125 women screened, 65 met at least one risk criterion: current depressive or anxious symptoms, a history of depression, a stressful life event in the past year, or low perceived social support. The final sample included a control group (N = 32), which received standard community pregnancy care (TAU), and a intervention group (N = 33), which received TAU and four sessions of BDP. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), anxiety was assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) was used to evaluate bonding with the infant.

Results: The intervention led to sustained reductions in depressive symptoms and improvements in anxiety, with suggestive results on mother - infant bonding.

Conclusion: This trial supports research on PPD prevention, highlighting BDP as a preventive complement to standard care for at-risk women.

Background: Gravidity is a factor that contributes to the risk of mental health problems during pregnancy. Prevention occurring before pregnancy could reduce the risk of long-term adverse effects in mothers and children. However, knowledge about the associations between gravidity and mental health during the pregnancy planning phase is scarce.

Methods: This study used cross-sectional data from the preconception phase of the PREGO Study. A total of 617 female participants (417 nulligravid, 200 primigravid/multigravid) were included and multivariable regression analyses were used to examine associations between gravidity status (primi/multigravid vs. nulligravid) and symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), adjusting for age, family income, education level, ethnic and cultural origins, body mass index, and alcohol consumption.

Results: The primi/multigravid group was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and distress before and after adjusting for confounding factors (adjusted B = 0.93, 95% CI [0.38-1.47] and adjusted B = 0.61, 95% CI [0.02-1.21], respectively). No statistically significant associations between gravidity and symptoms of anxiety and stress were observed.

Conclusion: Individuals who have previously been pregnant may have higher levels of depressive symptoms and distress when planning a subsequent pregnancy than those with no prior experience of pregnancy. An awareness of these findings in preconception groups could help improve pregnancy and postpartum mental health outcomes.

Aims/background: South Asian women may be more likely to experience distress following childbirth and risks linked with birth trauma. Additionally, South Asian women have been shown to be less likely to receive subsequent support, compared to White women. Therefore, this study explored how South Asian women make sense of birth trauma and seek support.

Design/methods: This study employed a qualitative design with interpretative phenomenological analysis. Public and participant involvement, reflexivity and trauma-informed approaches guided research processes. Recruitment was conducted using purposive and snowball sampling methods. The study was advertised through third sector organisations, specialist postnatal research groups and social media. Eight participants with birth trauma experiences completed a semi-structured interview.

Results: Interpretative phenomenological analysis developed four themes 'the power of maternity/obstetric healthcare professionals', 'loss of connection', 'disentangling discrimination' and 'pervasive cultural stigma in motherhood'. Findings highlighted the power differentials between maternity healthcare professionals and discriminatory interactions. The birthing experience represented a multitude of losses for South Asian women, which underpinned longstanding distress. Formal support seeking was limited by cultural stigma and mistrust of the National Health Service.

Conclusions: This research identified the complex interplay of negative experiences and mistreatment during childbirth, contributing to birth trauma in South Asian women. Clinical implications include improving the relational experience and well-being of South Asian women during childbirth. Research implications include continuing to situate South Asian women's voices in maternal/perinatal research and service developments.

Background: Birth satisfaction shapes family well-being, yet partners' experiences remain under-researched. A Hebrew BSS-R exists for mothers, but no validated partner instrument has been available in Israel. We examined the validity and reliability of a Hebrew Partner BSS-R (HP-BSS-R).

Methods: A psychometric validation study was conducted with 250 Hebrew-speaking partners of birthing women in Israel. Data were collected online via a self-administered questionnaire completed, on average, 23.87 months after childbirth (SD 17.46). Participants completed the HP-BSS-R and provided obstetric and demographic information (age, number of children, term status, mode of birth, and labour duration). Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to examine the scale's dimensional structure and assess its goodness of fit. Convergent, divergent, and known-groups discriminant validity were assessed, alongside internal consistency reliability. The HP-BSS-R was also evaluated against previously established BSS-R versions.

Results: A nine-item measurement model of the HP-BSS-R demonstrated excellent model fit, notably under a bifactor structure. Convergent validity was supported by correlation patterns comparable to other BSS-R versions. While the Stress Experienced subscale showed suboptimal internal consistency (α = 0.53), the Partner's Attributes and Quality of Care subscales, as well as the total score, demonstrated acceptable reliability. The scale also showed strong known-groups discriminant validity.

Conclusions: The HP-BSS-R demonstrates strong psychometric properties for assessing post-event birth satisfaction among partners in Israel. This validated tool provides a valuable resource for understanding partners' childbirth experiences, facilitating more comprehensive family-centred care, and informing targeted interventions to improve overall birth satisfaction.

Aims: This study aimed to develop and validate an instrument to assess gay fathers' beliefs about socialising their children conceived through surrogacy.

Background: As societal norms evolve and reproductive technologies advance, more gay men are starting families through surrogacy. Research is limited on the unique socialisation beliefs of these fathers, particularly concerning surrogacy and societal perceptions.

Methods: Participants were 208 gay fathers from 104 families in Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Fathers completed a survey with six adapted items from the Sexual Minority Parent Socialisation Beliefs Scale, together with measures of stigma experiences and sense of belonging to the gay community. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested the factor structure and reliability. Convergent validity, as well as differences between countries and other demographic variables, were examined.

Results: A two-factor structure was identified: Coping with moral and ethical comments (coping beliefs) and Interaction with other surrogacy families (interaction beliefs). Both subscales demonstrated good internal consistency. Convergent validity was partially confirmed: coping beliefs were significantly associated with stigma experiences, while interaction beliefs were positively related to sense of community belonging. Country differences were found only for Coping with moral and ethical comments, with Belgian fathers scoring higher than fathers in Italy, Israel, and the Netherlands. Coping beliefs increased with child age, while interaction beliefs were stronger among fathers who pursued gestational surrogacy. Marital status and child's sex showed no significant effects.

Conclusion: The instrument provides a validated tool to advance research and interventions supporting resilience in gay father families via surrogacy.

Background/aims: Termination of pregnancy for foetal anomaly (TOPFA) is a complex emotional journey characterised by different emotional responses. Parents may go through a period of grief and mourning after a perinatal loss, and their reaction can have a lasting effect and influence subsequent reproductive decisions.

Design/methods: We explored how reproductive decisions after TOPFA are made and how a rainbow pregnancy, a pregnancy after perinatal loss, is experienced by men and women. The objective was two-fold: first, to understand the prospective perceptions of participants following TOPFA, who still desire a pregnancy; and second, to analyse the retrospective perceptions of participants who successfully fulfilled their child wish. This study used a generic qualitative descriptive approach to understand the impact of TOPFA on reproductive decisions. In total, 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents who experienced TOPFA between 15 and 33 weeks of gestation due to an unknown aetiology.

Results: The emotional longing for a child was persistent. Although the decision-making process became more complex. Choosing for a subsequent pregnancy was no longer a carefree decision nor experience. Participants with an active desire to have children after TOPFA kept on searching for a positive experience. While those who fulfilled their desire to have children, still mentioned a continuing grieving process and a search for answers.

Conclusion: Reproductive decisions and the experience of a rainbow pregnancy after TOPFA are marked by previous existential perinatal experiences, and the previous loss remained present. Our results suggest that a tailored medical and psychosocial follow-up of pregnancies after TOPFA is crucial.

Aims and background: The subjective childbirth experience is crucial for a woman's well-being. This study examines the relationship between 'birthing consciousness' - a flow-like state of hyperfocus, self-efficacy, and calm - and birth outcomes, including subjective experience, labour duration, and postpartum mental health.

Methods: Data were collected prospectively from a cohort of birthing women (January-September 2023) at Ziv Medical Center, Israel. Women planning a vaginal birth (N = 138) completed surveys at three time points: Antenatal: During antenatal care at 34-41 weeks' gestation; Postpartum: 72 hours postpartum, assessing flow state using the Flow State Scale (FSS); Postpartum: 8 weeks postpartum, assessing mental health using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Pregnancy and birth details, including demographic variables and birth stage durations, were obtained from electronic medical records.

Results: Higher flow was associated with shorter labour ;(Stage 2: r =  -0.316, p = .002, n = 98; Stage 3: r =  -0.302, p = .002, n = 98) and lower postpartum stress ;(r =  -0.451, p < .001, n = 93). Women reporting a positive birth experience had higher flow than those reporting a negative experience (Welch's t = 4.00, p < .001; Cohen's d = 1.25; n = 83). In logistic regression, higher flow increased the odds of a positive birth experience (OR = 1.02 per point, 95% CI [1.00-1.05], p = .043).

Conclusions: Experiencing flow can enhance the childbirth experience and shorten birth's critical stages. These findings highlight the significance of attending to a woman's mental state during labour to optimise her health outcomes.

Background: Brain development during the prenatal period and early infancy is critical and highly sensitive to sensory experiences, which can be disrupted by preterm birth. Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) emerged as a humanised alternative to conventional neonatal care, promoting thermal regulation, breastfeeding, and mother-infant bonding. While its short-term benefits are well documented, evidence on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes remains limited. In this review, long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes were defined as those assessed after six months of corrected age. This study aims to synthesise and critically appraise the existing evidence on the long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes of KMC in preterm and/or low birth weight (PT/LBW) infants.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the PubMed, Embase, Virtual Health Library, and SciELO databases. Articles published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish between January 2014 and March 2025 were included, based on predefined eligibility and methodological quality criteria.

Results: The search identified 2,380 articles, of which 12 were selected. The analysis grouped the articles into six categories of neurodevelopmental outcomes: cognitive, motor, socioemotional, and language development, as well as brain volume and brain activity. These outcomes were heterogeneously affected by KMC exposure. All evaluated domains demonstrated long-term benefits associated with KMC, with positive impacts observed in both behavioural outcomes and brain structure and function.

Conclusion: These findings highlighted the need to consider moderating and contextual factors involved in infant neurodevelopmental outcomes. In line with recent scientific literature, this review suggests that KMC is a promising intervention for improving long-term developmental outcomes in preterm and/or low birth weight infants.

Aims/background: Childbirth evokes a mix of emotions, including happiness, fear, and pain, shaped by biological, cognitive, and emotional factors. This study examines how pain expectation, catastrophizing, and self-compassion impact the experience and recall of labour pain.

Methods: Seventy-six pregnant women completed the numeric pain scale (NS) in three different moments: the expected pain (EP) before delivery, the maximum pain experienced during delivery, actual pain (AP), and the retrospective pain (RP) after delivery. Additionally, scales measuring catastrophizing (PCS) and self-compassion (SELFCS) were administered.

Results: We observed that EP exceeded AP (z = -2.684, p = 0.007) and RP (z = -4.556, p < 0.001). Positive correlations were observed between EP and AP (r = 0.385, p = 0.001) and EP and RP (r = 0.237, p = 0.044), highlighting the impact of expectations on pain perception during labour and its recall. Catastrophizing (p = 0.041) and a lower number of pregnancies (p = 0.014) were significant predictors of severe pain, whereas self-compassion did not significantly correlate with pain measures. High pain expectations may contribute to actual pain levels during labour, particularly with induced labour.

Conclusion: Many women experience persistent pain post-childbirth, highlighting the need for tailored interventions to manage expectations and provide effective coping strategies. This study underscores the need to address pain expectations in antenatal care and target catastrophizing tendencies to improve the labour pain experience and prevent chronic postpartum pain. Larger studies are needed to validate these results and inform the development of effective interventions, ultimately enhancing maternal well-being during and after childbirth.