Pandemic Increased Pregnancy Stress in U.S. Women

COVID-19 has created new problems for pregnant women in the United States, a group already facing the highest maternal mortality rates in developed countries, even before the pandemic.

One of their biggest concerns, according to a Washington State University study recently published in the journal, is that babies get sick. BMC pregnancy and childbirth.. Some women expressed concern that simply going to the hospital and giving birth could result in infection with the virus and forced isolation from newborns.

“Pregnant women are really stressed about getting COVID-19,” said Celestina Barbosa-Leiker, Deputy Prime Minister for Research at WSU Health Sciences Spokane. “They have many questions Healthcare provider.. There’s a lot I don’t understand yet, which I understand, but it’s especially stressful for moms. “

Researchers also found an increase in pandemics Pregnant womanFinancial instability made it difficult to find healthy foods and missed prenatal bookings. The study revealed higher levels of stress and lack of social support between colored women and low-income pregnant women, highlighting the increase in health inequalities that already existed before the pandemic.

“These are really big concerns because we know that prenatal stress affects fetal development,” Barbosa-Ryker said.

In this survey, the WSU research team analyzed survey responses from more than 160 pregnant and postpartum women from April 28 to June 30, 2020. We collected both quantitative survey responses from the entire group and more detailed qualitative responses from the subs. -Women’s set.

In this study, 52% of pregnant women and 49% of postpartum women were worried that their babies would be infected with COVID-19, and 46% were concerned with the COVID-19 protocol at the expected or expected hospital. I was asking for additional information. Their baby.

In the qualitative part of the survey, women reported many serious concerns. For example, participants stated that their main concern during the pandemic was infection with COVID-19 and death. Others were worried about getting the virus in the hospital during childbirth, and COVID-19 policy forced them to be isolated from newborns and to keep their partners away from the birth room. Barbosa-Leiker said it is currently recommended to keep babies and mothers together, but hospitals have different policies, especially at the beginning of the stay-at-home order.

During the study period, 27% of pregnant women reported that they were not available healthy food And 25% missed their prenatal promise. Finance has also emerged as an important issue. 19% reported a decline in income. Nine percent were temporarily dismissed and another 10% reported that someone in their family had lost their job.

In the survey sample, pregnant women appear to be more stressed than postnatal women who have already given birth because they are less likely to engage in healthy stress-coping behaviors such as exercising, news breaks, and making time. It looked like. relax.

Pregnant women in the United States are already facing more stress than many of their peers in developed countries. According to reports from nine maternal mortality review committees, they have the highest maternal mortality rates in developed countries, and social and environmental stressors contribute to the risk of US women dying within the first year of pregnancy. doing. Previous studies have shown that pregnant women in the United States have higher levels of anxiety and depression than women in the Netherlands and higher levels of psychological stress than women in the United Kingdom. This was before COVID-19.

The results of a recent WSU study have strengthened the need for more resources and support for pregnant women, especially during a pandemic, Barbosa-Leiker said.

“Mental health and mental health are key during this time, so healthcare providers need to keep talking to their mother about all stressors,” she said. “The provider can keep the resources on hand. For example, if he finds out that his family is unemployed, he can immediately introduce a wraparound service.”

Others can also provide more support, but in a physically distant way, Barbosa-Ryker said she was pregnant. Female And the new mother expressed a lot of guilt about keeping relatives, especially grandparents, away from the newborn.

“I’ve heard a lot from participants that they’re stressed for fear of offending their families,” she said. “Keeping in mind that new parents are doing everything they can to keep their babies and themselves safe and healthy, parents about how they want to deal with visitors during a pandemic. You should really try to support your hope. ”