Women who are particularly anxious about their pregnancy may
be at increased risk of premature delivery, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that among 1,820 pregnant women, those with
the greatest concerns about their pregnancy were nearly three
times more likely than those with the least anxiety to deliver
prematurely. The findings are published in the journal Psychosomatic
Medicine.
Stress during pregnancy has been linked to a higher risk of
complications in some studies, though not all. And those that
have identified a link have not suggested any simple solutions
to the problem.
For the current study, researchers looked specifically at women's
worries related to their pregnancy -- including anxiety over
labor and delivery, and worries about early pregnancy problems
like bleeding and nausea. The goal was to see whether the risk
of preterm birth was influenced by the types of anxiety that
obstetricians can fairly easily address.
For example, a woman's fears about labor might be allayed by
a thorough discussion with her doctor, according to the study
authors, led by Dr. Suezanne T. Orr of East Carolina University
in Greenville, North Carolina.
For their study, the researchers had 1,820 women complete a
questionnaire on pregnancy worries during their first visit
for prenatal care. The women were asked whether they were anxious
about labor and delivery, the health of the baby, nausea, and
pain or bleeding during early pregnancy.
They were then given anxiety "scores" ranging from 0 to 6.
Overall, Orr's team found, women who scored a 5 or 6 were at
greater risk of preterm delivery than those with lower scores.
This remained true when the researchers considered factors that
could both fuel women's anxiety and raise the risk of preterm
birth -- such as a history of problems in past pregnancies,
or health problems during the current pregnancy.
The findings suggest that excessive anxiety itself may contribute
to premature delivery in some women, according to Orr and her
colleagues.
"If additional research confirms our findings," they write,
"then this might suggest an avenue for intervention to reduce
spontaneous preterm birth. Anxiety is a treatable condition."
They point out that pregnancy-related worries,
in particular, can be addressed with education.
"Pregnant women could receive information from their healthcare
providers about the signs and symptoms of a normal pregnancy
and the process of labor and delivery to reduce their worries
and concerns about pregnancy, and ultimately their risk of spontaneous
preterm birth outcomes," the team notes.
SOURCE: Psychosomatic Medicine, July/August.
