Developmental and Emotional Aspects of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting: Current and Future Perspectives

All pregnancies, even healthy ones, may cause an existential and emotional crisis in a woman, which reinforces pre-existing internal conflicts. Indeed, pregnancy is a unique experience in a woman's life which is influenced by several factors, particularly biological, psychological, and psychosocial ones. For most women, pregnancy is a happy experience associated with positive expectations. In this regard, for example, a particular case is that of women who survive cancer, for whom the possibility of becoming a mother has a particular value. For these women, a child is a symbol of life that defeats death. However, pregnancy can also be the cause of particular emotional distress for women, with consequent development, in some cases, of psychopathological disorders such as maternity blues and postpartum depression. In some situations, unexpected medical complications, such as fetal anomalies, fetal death, or a serious health risk for the child or the mother, can significantly increase psychological distress.

In other cases, conceiving a child is difficult due to infertility problems or other hindrances, and the couple is forced to face the psychological impact of this event and choose to resort to assisted reproduction techniques or adoption. Finally, pregnancy may be unwanted, leading in some cases to the decision to abort.

In light of these considerations, the Special Issue “Developmental and Emotional Aspects of Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Parenting: Current and Future Perspectives” aims to publish both original articles and comprehensive reviews about the psychological and social impact of several conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting, to better understand the factors that come into play in the complex process of the construction of parenting and the promotion of coping and resilience in this particular period of the life cycle. 

Dr. Valentina Lucia La Rosa
Prof. Elena Commodari
Guest Editors

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