Abstract
This study intended to present a systematic review to analyze the empirical studies published between 1998 and 2003 about maternal anxiety in the prenatal and postnatal periods, focusing on pre-term and term births. Nineteen studies were found; six of which evaluated maternal anxiety in the prenatal period, 12 studies evaluated anxiety in mothers in the postnatal period and only one study evaluated maternal anxiety in both periods. The results showed that high levels of maternal anxiety in the prenatal phase were associated with obstetric problems, emotional damages to fetal development, behavioral problems in childhood and adolescence. The mothers presented higher anxiety levels when compared with the fathers. The co-occurrence of maternal anxiety and depression was found. The maternal anxiety assessment is relevant to identify both maternal mental health and child development at risk.
Highlights
This study intended to present a systematic review to analyze the empirical studies published between 1998 and 2003 about maternal anxiety in the prenatal and postnatal periods, focusing on pre-term and term births
Anxiety disorders figure among the most frequent psychiatric disorders in the population and anxious symptoms are among the most common ones. They can be found in any person during certain periods in his/her life. This anxiety can be pathological when it is disproportional to the situation that unleashes it or when there is no specific motive for its appearance(1) or, when it is an inadequate answer to a certain threat, due to its intensity or duration(2)
It has not been directly associated with the low birth weight condition(10), the presence of high levels of maternal anxiety in the pre- and postnatal phase has been related with obstetric complications(11), such as vaginal bleeding and threats of abortion for example, and with fetal development, such as differences in reactivity patterns and high heart rate(9-12) and with emotional and behavioral problems during childhood and adolescence(15,17,20)
Summary
This study intended to present a systematic review to analyze the empirical studies published between 1998 and 2003 about maternal anxiety in the prenatal and postnatal periods, focusing on pre-term and term births. La finalidad de esta revisión sistemática de la literatura fue analizar la producción científica entre 1998 y 2003 de estudios empíricos en la temática de ansiedad en las fases prenatal y postnatal, enfocando nacimientos del pre-termino o del término. Los resultados demostraron que altos niveles de ansiedad maternal en la fase prenatal fueron asociados a complicaciones obstétricas, daños al desarrollo fetal, problemas emocionales y comportamentales en la infancia y la adolescencia. Os resultados mostraram que altos níveis de ansiedade materna na fase pré-natal foram associados a complicações obstétricas, prejuízos ao desenvolvimento fetal, problemas emocionais e de comportamento na infância e na adolescência. Anxiety disorders figure among the most frequent psychiatric disorders in the population and anxious symptoms are among the most common ones They can be found in any person during certain periods in his/her life. The physical changes that occurred during pregnancy can provoke emotional instability in women(3)
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