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The effect of the systematic birth preparation program on fear of vaginal delivery and quality of life

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of systematic birth preparation program on fear of vaginal delivery and quality of life (QoL) in pregnant women who request elective cesarean delivery without any obstetric indication.

Methods

This study was conducted prospectively. A total of 100 women who requested elective cesarean delivery due to psychosocial reasons were included into the study. Women were divided into two groups according to their desire to participate in the systematic birth preparation program. Group A: case group (n = 50) consisted of women who participated in the systematic birth preparation program. Group B: control group (n = 50) received usual antenatal care. All patients were interviewed with questionnaires including the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at postpartum 6th week. Type of delivery, maternal request for cesarean section, scores for QoL, and postpartum depression were compared between the two groups.

Results

Vaginal delivery rate was significantly higher in among the patients who received the systematic birth preparation program (group A: 78%, group B: 56%). Maternal request for elective cesarean section significantly decreased after the systematic birth preparation program (group A: 8%, group B: 28%). In group A, the WHOQOL-BREF-TR mean scores (SD) for physical domain, psychological domain, and environmental domain were significantly higher than the values exhibited in group B. In scores of the postpartum depression scale, there were no significant differences between the two groups (p = 0.075).

Conclusions

The current study indicates that systematic birth preparation program may decrease the rate of elective cesarean delivery by reducing fear of vaginal delivery and improve the quality of life at postpartum period.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank all midwives and participants who made this study possible.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Perinatology Department, Zeynep Kamil Maternity Hospital, Health Science University, Zeynep Kamil Mahallesi, Dr. Burhanettin Üstünel Sokağı No:10, 34668, Üsküdar/Istanbul, Turkey

    Mucize Eric Ozdemir

  2. Perinatology Department, Trakya University, Trakya University Tip Fakültesi Dekanligi Balkan Yerleskesi, 22030, Edirne, Turkey

    Isil Uzun Cilingir

  3. Suleymaniye Maternity Hospital, Health Science University, Telsiz Mahallesi, Balikli Kazlicesme Yolu Cd. No:1, 34020, Zeytinburnu/Istanbul, Turkey

    Gulsah Ilhan, Elif Yildiz & Karolin Ohanoglu

Authors
  1. Mucize Eric Ozdemir
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  2. Isil Uzun Cilingir
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  3. Gulsah Ilhan
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  4. Elif Yildiz
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  5. Karolin Ohanoglu
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Contributions

EOM protocol development, project development, data collection, and manuscript writing/editing. UCI protocol development and manuscript editing. IG data collection. YE data collection.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mucize Eric Ozdemir.

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The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

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Ozdemir, M.E., Cilingir, I.U., Ilhan, G. et al. The effect of the systematic birth preparation program on fear of vaginal delivery and quality of life. Arch Gynecol Obstet 298, 561–565 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4835-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4835-0

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