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Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth
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Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Perinatal and Neonatal Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 8281

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Raquel Rodríguez-Blanque

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Group CTS1068, Andalusia Research Plan, Junta de Andalucía, San Cecilio Clinical Hospital, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: pregnant women; pregnancy; exercise; body mass index; childbirth; partograph
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Juan Carlos Sánchez-García

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Research Group CTS1068, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: rare diseases and pregnant women
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Women often face childbirth with fear. The most common fears are related to pain, suffering, and a poor obstetric outcome. However, this is not because childbirth is intrinsically difficult or dangerous; these feelings are largely the result of a lack of training and information from professionals towards women at different stages of pregnancy and childbirth.

Professionals must change this way of working to improve the experience of women in this process, in addition to the social image of childbirth. Giving birth can be a beautiful and pleasant experience as long as the conditions are right, and understanding this will help women to give birth without fear.

Controlling the fear of pain induced by labor is associated with an increase in the physical and emotional well-being of the pregnant woman. There are a range of possible solutions that can help control fear during this special moment in women's lives, for example, childbirth preparation classes, relaxation techniques during childbirth, non-pharmacological analgesic methods that are complementary and/or alternative to standard care, and so on.

For this Special Issue, we invite researchers to contribute original research or review articles that focus on highlighting the importance of health care during the pregnancy process and in preparation for childbirth, in addition to non-pharmacological techniques that help control said fear during childbirth.

Dr. Raquel Rodríguez-Blanque
Dr. Juan Carlos Sánchez-García
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • analgesia
  • fear
  • pain
  • labor
  • childbirth
  • relaxation therapy
  • complementary therapies

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review, Other

3 pages, 219 KiB  
Editorial
Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with the Fear of Childbirth
by Juan Carlos Sánchez-García, Jonathan Cortés-Martín and Raquel Rodríguez-Blanque
Healthcare 2023, 11(4), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11040480 - 07 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 984
Abstract
Pregnancy is a vital event in a woman’s life that involves not only important physical changes, but also psychological changes [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review, Other

10 pages, 274 KiB  
Article
Coping Strategies during Childbirth Related to Cultural Identity: Companionship, Choice of Analgesia and Maternal Satisfaction
by Silvia Navarro-Prado, María Angustias Sánchez-Ojeda, Fernando Jesús Plaza del Pino, María Ángeles Vázquez-Sánchez, María Isabel Tovar-Gálvez and Nurimán Azirar-Mohamed
Healthcare 2023, 11(12), 1714; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11121714 - 12 Jun 2023
Viewed by 893
Abstract
Childbirth is a biological process and how it is experienced and managed is influenced by numerous factors, among them, socio-cultural or health care received. Objective: The objective of this study is to ascertain whether cultural factors influence the way in which women deal [...] Read more.
Childbirth is a biological process and how it is experienced and managed is influenced by numerous factors, among them, socio-cultural or health care received. Objective: The objective of this study is to ascertain whether cultural factors influence the way in which women deal with childbirth through the treatment of pain, companionship and maternal satisfaction. Methods: This study is a non-experimental, quantitative, ex post facto, cross-sectional study of women who gave birth in a border town in southern Spain. The sample consisted of 249 women. Results: No relationship was found between cultural factors and the choice of epidural analgesia, alternative methods to alleviate pain, being accompanied nor maternal satisfaction. There was a significant relationship between the type of companionship and with maternal satisfaction. Conclusions: Cultural factors did not influence how women dealt with dilation and childbirth. Results found that the person accompanying the mother was important for increasing maternal satisfaction. The intercultural training of healthcare professionals is necessary. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth)
13 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
Antenatal Fear of Childbirth as a Risk Factor for a Bad Childbirth Experience
by Azahara Rúger-Navarrete, Juana María Vázquez-Lara, Irene Antúnez-Calvente, Luciano Rodríguez-Díaz, Francisco Javier Riesco-González, Rocío Palomo-Gómez, Juan Gómez-Salgado and Francisco Javier Fernández-Carrasco
Healthcare 2023, 11(3), 297; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030297 - 18 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1888
Abstract
Giving birth is one of the most impressive experiences in life. However, many pregnant women suffer from fear of childbirth (FOC) and experience labour in very different ways, depending on their personality, previous life experiences, pregnancy, and birth circumstances. The aim of this [...] Read more.
Giving birth is one of the most impressive experiences in life. However, many pregnant women suffer from fear of childbirth (FOC) and experience labour in very different ways, depending on their personality, previous life experiences, pregnancy, and birth circumstances. The aim of this study was to analyse how fear of childbirth affects the childbirth experience and to assess the related consequences. For this, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of 414 women between 1 July 2021 and 30 June 2022. The Birth Anticipation Scale (BAS) was used to measure fear of childbirth and the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ-E) was applied to measure satisfaction with the childbirth experience. Fear of childbirth negatively and significantly predicted the childbirth experience. In addition, women who were more fearful of childbirth were found to have worse obstetric outcomes and a higher likelihood of having a caesarean delivery (p = 0.008 C. I 95%). Fear behaved as a risk factor for the birth experience, so the greater the fear, the higher the risk of having a worse birth experience (OR 1.1). Encouraging active listening and support strategies may increase pregnant women’s confidence, thus decreasing their fear of the process and improving their childbirth experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth)

Review

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17 pages, 315 KiB  
Review
Ensuring Population Health in the Era of Aging in Vietnam: Policy Review and Factors Associated with Intentions of Childbearing before the Age of 30 among Youths
by Linh Phuong Doan, Long Hoang Nguyen, Ha Ngoc Do, Tham Thi Nguyen, Giang Thu Vu, Hoa Thi Do, Carl A. Latkin, Roger C. M. Ho and Cyrus S. H. Ho
Healthcare 2023, 11(1), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11010102 - 28 Dec 2022
Viewed by 1954
Abstract
Background: Delayed childbearing has become a concern among policymakers across the world. In Vietnam, population policies have been adjusted to cope with this issue. In 2020, Decision 588/QD-TTg was ratified to encourage people to marry and give birth before the age of 30. [...] Read more.
Background: Delayed childbearing has become a concern among policymakers across the world. In Vietnam, population policies have been adjusted to cope with this issue. In 2020, Decision 588/QD-TTg was ratified to encourage people to marry and give birth before the age of 30. This study reviewed recent changes in Vietnam’s population policies and assessed the intention of giving birth before 30 in young Vietnamese to provide insights into the potential effectiveness of the policy changes among young people. Methods: This study combined two approaches: a desk review and a survey of a group of youths. An online cross-sectional study was conducted on 116 respondents aged 16 to 30 in Vietnam from June to July 2020. The intention of childbearing before 30 and the importance and responsiveness of different social-environmental factors were asked using a structured questionnaire. We used multivariate logistic regression to identify associated factors of such intention. Results: The incentives set out by the Vietnamese government shared similarities with those of other countries. The plan of childbearing before the age of 30 among young adults in Vietnam was demonstrated to correlate with age, socioeconomic and biological characteristics, resources of the local health systems, as well as a clean and safe living environment. Conclusion: This study highlighted the recent crucial shift in Vietnam’s population policy. However, the quantitative analysis suggested that measures relating to environmental factors should be incorporated under this policy, implying that further interventions need to be taken into account to cope with delayed childbearing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth)

Other

12 pages, 415 KiB  
Systematic Review
Impact of Hypnotherapy on Fear, Pain, and the Birth Experience: A Systematic Review
by Laura Fernández-Gamero, Andrés Reinoso-Cobo, María del Carmen Ruiz-González, Jonathan Cortés-Martín, Inmaculada Muñóz Sánchez, Elena Mellado-García and Beatriz Piqueras-Sola
Healthcare 2024, 12(6), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12060616 - 08 Mar 2024
Viewed by 772
Abstract
In recent times, research has been conducted on the use of hypnosis during childbirth preparation and its effects on pain, fear, and overall childbirth experience. The main objective of this study was to analyze the published scientific literature on the use of hypnotherapy [...] Read more.
In recent times, research has been conducted on the use of hypnosis during childbirth preparation and its effects on pain, fear, and overall childbirth experience. The main objective of this study was to analyze the published scientific literature on the use of hypnotherapy during childbirth preparation and the outcomes achieved during labor. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, with a search performed on the PubMed, Cinahl, Scopus, and WOS databases. Studies meeting inclusion criteria, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), were evaluated for methodological quality using the PEDro scale. The searches yielded a total of 84 results, from which 7 RCTs of high scientific quality were selected. Each article examined the impact of a hypnosis intervention during pregnancy and the results obtained during labor. The analysis covered the use of epidural anesthesia, pharmacological analgesia during labor, self-reported pain, labor duration, type of delivery, fear of childbirth, and childbirth experience. The results demonstrated benefits in reducing fear and pain during labor, along with an enhancement in the overall childbirth experience. Hypnotherapy can be a valuable resource for reducing fear and pain during labor and improving the lived childbirth experience. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth)
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14 pages, 720 KiB  
Systematic Review
Systematic Reviews and Synthesis without Meta-Analysis on Hydrotherapy for Pain Control in Labor
by Elena Mellado-García, Lourdes Díaz-Rodríguez, Jonathan Cortés-Martín, Juan Carlos Sánchez-García, Beatriz Piqueras-Sola, Juan Carlos Higuero Macías and Raquel Rodríguez-Blanque
Healthcare 2024, 12(3), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12030373 - 01 Feb 2024
Viewed by 816
Abstract
Background: Although there is scientific evidence regarding the use of water immersion during labor, this evidence is primarily focused on the first stage of labor. There is limited scientific evidence on water immersion during the second stage of labor. Objective: The objective of [...] Read more.
Background: Although there is scientific evidence regarding the use of water immersion during labor, this evidence is primarily focused on the first stage of labor. There is limited scientific evidence on water immersion during the second stage of labor. Objective: The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and synthesis of contemporary evidence related to water birth, with a specific focus on the second stage of labor. Methods: A systematic review of the scientific literature published between January 2018 and October 2023 was carried out. A synthesis of the results was conducted following the Synthesis without Meta-Analysis (SWiM) guidelines. PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were utilized as information sources. The search strategy was designed using the keywords “immersion” and “parturition”, along with their relevant synonyms. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies employing randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic reviews, and quantitative and qualitative approaches focusing on pregnant women undergoing water immersion at any stage of the labor process. Results: Eleven articles were selected: two systematic reviews (one quantitative and one qualitative), five cohort studies, one case–control study, one cross-sectional observational study, and two qualitative studies. A thorough assessment of the methodology was performed using several specific tools: the Cochrane RoB 2 (Risk of Bias 2) tool for systematic reviews, JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research for qualitative studies, STROBE for observational descriptive studies, and CASPe for qualitative studies. The results provided fundamental insights that will contribute to conceptual standardization regarding the effects of water birth on maternal and fetal health. Additionally, a synthesis of the results was performed concerning types of delivery, analgesia use, pain perception, and maternal satisfaction with the water birth experience. Conclusions: In this study, we conclude that the results regarding delivery types, labor durations, and analgesia use found in the literature, along with statistically significant maternal/fetal effects, are crucial for making recommendations regarding the use of water during labor in any of its stages if the woman desires it safely. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Preparation for Childbirth: Coping with Fear of Childbirth)
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