Anxiety In Pregnancy Research Articles

Assessing the relationship between psychosocial risk and pregnancy outcomes using the perinatal integrated psychosocial assessment (PIPA) tool.

The Perinatal Integrated Psychosocial Assessment (PIPA) tool screens for anxiety, depression, and psychosocial factors in pregnancy. We aimed to assess the association between PIPA-determined psychosocial risk and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Cohort study of all pregnant women who gave birth at ≥20weeks of gestation in 2017-2019 at a tertiary maternity hospital in, Sydney, Australia. Women completed PIPA at their first antenatal visit and were assigned a PIPA risk category. At-risk women were reviewed and referred for support. The association between PIPA risk category and obstetric and neonatal outcomes was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for sociodemographic and pregnancy factors. In all, 5969 women completed PIPA; 71.4% were assessed no/low risk, 17.5% medium risk, and 11.1% medium-high/high risk. Compared with no/low-risk women, medium-high/high-risk women were more likely to remain in hospital for >72hours (aOR 1.47 [95% CI 1.33-1.64]); to not be breastfeeding at discharge (aOR 1.77 [95% CI 1.20-2.61]); to have their infants experience birth complications (aOR 1.24 [95% CI 1.03-1.50]); and to be admitted to the NICU (aOR 1.63 [95% CI 1.26-2.11]). There was a modest increase in odds of cesarean birth (aOR 1.12 [95% CI 1.00-1.27]), and no association with preterm birth or low birthweight. The risk of adverse outcomes disappeared for medium-high/high-risk women referred for support. The PIPA tool identified one in 10 women at high psychosocial risk with increased risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Adverse outcomes were attenuated for high-risk women who were referred for extra support, suggesting that psychosocial review and referral for high-risk women may reduce the risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Foot Hydrotherapy: Non-pharmacology Treatment for Reducing Anxiety in Third Trimester Pregnancy

Objective: This research aims to examine the effect of foot hydrotherapy as one of non-pharmacological therapies for reducing anxiety of pregnancy.
 Method: The reported study employed Quasi Experimental method by using two Group pretest-posttest design with comparison group. It involved 57 respondents who were recruited using consecutive sampling technique. Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) questionnaire was used to measure the respondents’ anxiety. For bivariate analysis, the data were tested using paired samples t-test and Independent T-test
 Result. The results of data analysis indicated that before the treatment, the anxiety values in the two groups were almost the same (21±2.3 dan 22.07±1.99). After the treatment in the intervention group, the anxiety value decreased while in the control group, the anxiety score was increased on the third day after the pretest measurement Data analysis which was conducted with Independent Sample t-test revealed that foot hydrotherapy using warm water reduced the anxiety level of pregnant women in the third trimester (p = 0,000).
 Conclusion: Giving foot hydrotherapy is effective for reducing anxiety in pregnant women. Therefore, the non-pharmacological therapy can be socialized and applied given to the public (society), especially pregnant women

Remotely Delivered Interventions to Support Women With Symptoms of Anxiety in Pregnancy: Mixed Methods Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BackgroundSymptoms of anxiety are common in pregnancy, with severe symptoms associated with negative outcomes for women and babies. Low-level psychological therapy is recommended for women with mild to moderate anxiety, with the aim of preventing an escalation of symptoms and providing coping strategies. Remotely delivered interventions have been suggested to improve access to treatment and support and provide a cost-effective, flexible, and timely solution.ObjectiveThis study identifies and evaluates remotely delivered, digital, or web-based interventions to support women with symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy.MethodsThis mixed methods systematic review followed a convergent segregated approach to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data. The ACM Digital Library, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Applied Social Sciences Index and s, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination database, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, Health Technology Assessment Library, IEEE Xplore, Joanna Briggs Institute, Maternity and Infant Care, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and the Social Science Citation Index were searched in October 2020. Quantitative or qualitative primary research that included pregnant women and evaluated remotely delivered interventions reporting measures of anxiety, fear, stress, distress, women’s views, and opinions were included.ResultsOverall, 3 qualitative studies and 14 quantitative studies were included. Populations included a general antenatal population and pregnant women having anxiety and depression, fear of childbirth, insomnia, and preterm labor. Interventions included cognitive behavioral therapy, problem solving, mindfulness, and educational designs. Most interventions were delivered via web-based platforms, and 62% (8/13) included direct contact from trained therapists or coaches. A meta-analysis of the quantitative data found internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy and facilitated interventions showed a beneficial effect in relation to the reduction of anxiety scores (standardized mean difference −0.49, 95% CI −0.75 to −0.22; standardized mean difference −0.48, 95% CI −0.75 to −0.22). Due to limitations in the amount of available data and study quality, the findings should be interpreted with caution. Synthesized findings found some evidence to suggest that interventions are more effective when women maintain regular participation which may be enhanced by providing regular contact with therapists or peer support, appropriate targeting of interventions involving components of relaxation and cognitive-based skills, and providing sufficient sessions to develop new skills without being too time consuming.ConclusionsThere is limited evidence to suggest that women who are pregnant may benefit from remotely delivered interventions. Components of interventions that may improve the effectiveness and acceptability of remotely delivered interventions included providing web-based contact with a therapist, health care professional, or peer community. Women may be more motivated to complete interventions that are perceived as relevant or tailored to their needs. Remote interventions may also provide women with greater anonymity to help them feel more confident in disclosing their symptoms.

Women's experience of mild to moderate mental health problems during pregnancy, and barriers to receiving support

ObjectiveTo explore the experiences of women during pregnancy with mild to moderate mental health problems and describe the barriers to receiving support in relation to their mental health. Research design and participantsThis paper reports part of a larger project which recruited women and midwives in one hospital in Wales. Participants completed questionnaires in early pregnancy in an antenatal clinic, and the characteristics of women with and without symptoms of anxiety and depression compared. All women were invited to express interest in a follow up interview in late pregnancy. Women identified to have depression and anxiety in early pregnancy, but not under the care of perinatal mental health services, were eligible for interview. Interviews were conducted with 20 women using a visual timeline to aid discussion and were thematically analysed. FindingsIn late pregnancy mental health disorders were reported by nine women, of which five were diagnosed during adulthood. EPDS scores found 15 women had symptoms of mild to moderate depression and GAD-7 scores indicating 15 women with mild to moderate anxiety. Three themes were identified: moods and emotions - past, present and future; expectations and control; knowledge and conversations. Key conclusions and implications for practiceDue to limited access to specialist perinatal mental health services women relied on support networks and self-care to maintain their mental health. More time and better continuity at antenatal appointments along with improved mental health literacy may increase discussions regarding women's mental health during pregnancy. In addition investment is required to develop strategies and improve access to mental health services for women with mild to moderate mental health problems.

The effect of android-based education on the knowledge increase about pregnancy discomfort and anxiety reduction in pregnant women during the COVID-19 Pandemic

<p><strong><em>Background</em></strong><em>: Pregnancy is a natural process experienced by a woman, during which there will be physical and psychological changes. Pregnant women may experience discomfort and change in feelings such as happy, worry and anxiety due to those changes. Currently, the whole world is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. This situation causes an increase of anxiety in pregnant women because of their ignorance about how to handle pregnancy discomfort. Entering the digital era 4.0, android can be utilized so that education and information can be more easily accessible. </em></p><p><strong><em>Objective</em></strong><em>: To determine the effect of android-based education in handling discomfort and reducing anxiety in pregnant women during the Covid-19 pandemic.</em></p><p><strong><em>Methods</em></strong><em>: This research employed a quasi-experimental with a control group time-series design. There were 120 pregnant women used as samples. A simple random sampling was carried out to obtain those samples which then formed into 2 groups, namely the experimental group and the control group. The instrument used were the Busevid (Healthy Pregnant Women in the COVID-19 Period) android application and a questionnaire designed by the researchers which had been evaluated by the experts and tested. Then, the Manova with GLM repeated measures was utilized to analyze the data. </em></p><p><strong><em>Results</em></strong><em>: The increased knowledge of discomfort in the android group was 43.77 in the post-test 1 and 59.98 in the post-test 2, while the leaflet group was 17.18 in the post-test 1 and 35.92 in the post-test 2. The anxiety reduction in the android group was 16.90 in post-test 1 and 28.65 in the post-test 2, while the leaflet group was 4.35 in the post-test 1 and 5.10 in the post-test 2. The p-value was 0.000 <0.05, indicating that there was an effect of android-based education on handling discomfort and reducing anxiety in pregnant women during the Covid-19 pandemic.</em></p><p><strong><em>Conclusion</em></strong><em>: Android application can provide a significant change in increasing knowledge about discomfort and decreasing anxiety in pregnant women during the Covid-19 pandemic, so that android can be used as an alternative in providing positive benefits in education media and health promotion.</em></p>

Maternal-fetal attachment and anxiety in pregnant women who conceived through assisted reproductive technology: A longitudinal study.

BackgroundPregnancy through assisted reproductive technology (ART) is a stressful experience that may affect prenatal attachment. However, maternal-fetal attachment (MFA) and anxiety in pregnancy after ART are understudied in Iran.ObjectiveTo compare changes in MFA and pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA) in the first and third trimester of pregnancy in women who conceived through ART compared to those who conceived naturally.Materials and MethodsThis longitudinal study was conducted in 2019 with 187 pregnant women (ART conception = 43, natural conception = 144). Participants were recruited using the consecutive sampling method from a prenatal clinic in Tehran. The Cranley MFA Scale and the Van Den Bergh PRA Questionnaire were used to collect the data.ResultsThe MFA score in the 12 wk of gestation was lower in the women who conceived with ART compared to in the women who conceived naturally, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in wk 36. MFA in both groups was significantly higher at gestational wk 36 than wk 12 (p 0.001). The increase in MFA score was significantly higher in the women who conceived with ART than in those who conceived naturally (p 0.001). The anxiety score declined in the two groups and no statistically significant difference was observed in the changes of anxiety scores between the two groups (p = 0.84).ConclusionPregnant women who conceived through ART were as attached to their fetus in the third trimester of pregnancy as other women and did not experience more PRA.

The effect of educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory on pregnancy anxiety and childbirth outcomes among Iranian primiparous women.

BACKGROUND:Pregnancy anxiety is associated with a diverse birth outcomes. Mothers' education could have a critical role in increasing their self-efficacy to defeat their anxiety and improve pregnancy and child birth outcomes. The study was conducted to examine the effect of intervention based on self-efficacy theory on pregnancy anxiety and child birth outcomes.MATERIALS AND METHODS:The study was conducted as a quasi-experimental design on 60primiparous women (26–28 weeks) in Birjand (East Iranian province) from May to September 2017, who were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received 8 sessions of 90-min educational intervention based on self-efficacy theory strategies besides the routine prenatal care. Vanden Bergh's pregnancy anxiety questionnaire and checklist of pregnancy and delivery outcomes were used for data collection.RESULTS:The level of pregnancy anxiety was similar in both groups before the intervention, but immediately and 1 month after the intervention, the mean score of pregnancy anxiety significantly reduced in the intervention group and significantly increased in the control group (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in mean neonatal weight (P < 0.001) between the two groups. Emergency and elective cesarean section were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (P < 0.001), but there were no significant differences in the frequency of preterm delivery between two groups (P < 0.05).CONCLUSION:The results provide support for the effectiveness of intervention based on self-efficacy theory in reducing pregnancy anxiety and enhancing positive pregnancy outcomes. Hence, theory-based educational interventions may serve as a cost-effective and noninvasive approach to reduce pregnancy anxiety in Iran.

Supplemental Material for Anxiety in Pregnancy and Length of Gestation: Findings From the Healthy Babies Before Birth Study

Supplemental Material for Anxiety in Pregnancy and Length of Gestation: Findings From the Healthy Babies Before Birth Study

Pregnancy Anxiety, Anguish, and Stress: Effects on Mothers, Offspring, Research, and Practice

Pregnancy Anxiety, Anguish, and Stress: Effects on Mothers, Offspring, Research, and Practice

The Effect of Spousal Support on Anxiety in High-Risk Pregnancies: A Case-Control Study

The Effect of Spousal Support on Anxiety in High-Risk Pregnancies: A Case-Control Study

Perceived Anxiety and Stress among Pregnant Women during COVID-19 Pandemic- A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Mental health and well-being is as important as physical health during pregnancy. But the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused more anxiety and stress among pregnant women. The augmented levels of anxiety and stress may have detrimental effects on antenatal women. Anxiety and depression in pregnancy can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes like increased risk of abortions, preterm labour and even foetal deaths. Aim: To assess the anxiety and stress levels among pregnant women attending a tertiary care hospital in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine the associated factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 348 pregnant women attending a tertiary care teaching hospital in Thiruvananthapuram District in Kerala during the period October and November 2020 using a validated tool, Pandemic Anxiety Stress Scale for pregnant women. Higher scores indicating higher perceived anxiety stress with a maximum score of 60, categorised as normal, mild, moderate and severe with score between 0-14, 15-29, 30-44, and 45-60, respectively. Qualitative variables were expressed in frequency and percentage. Multivariate logistic regression was done to determine the factors associated with anxiety and stress. The p-value &lt;0.05 was considered significant. Results: Mild anxiety and stress were seen in 160 (45.98%) pregnant women, 89 (25.57%) had moderate and 7 (2.01%) had severe anxiety and stress, 92 women had no anxiety. A total of 145 (41.67%) pregnant women were scared of vertical transmission to their baby. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that residents in urban area and pregnant women with other co-morbidities associated with pregnancy were the two significant factors (p&lt;0.05) associated with anxiety-stress. Conclusion: About one-fourth of pregnant women had moderate or severe level of anxiety and stress. Antenatal women with pregnancy related diseases and those living in urban area had more anxiety and stress during pandemic. Measures need to be taken by health system to address the mental health of pregnant women.

Correlation of Pregnancy Experience and Antenatal Anxiety among Primigravida

Introduction: A wonderful and noble service that is bestowed on women is pregnancy. Some women enjoyed being pregnant, which found pregnancy life-changing and exciting. Most of the women may not have much problem during pregnancy, but few of them face some problems related to pregnancy and childbirth. Anxiety is believed that more than one in ten women struggle with symptoms of anxiety during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the pregnancy experience and antenatal anxiety. Methodology: The research approach was quantitative in nature. One hundred and twenty primigravida who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected using non-probability convenient sampling technique. Interview method was used and the structured questionnaire, modified pregnancy experience scale, and modified perinatal anxiety screening scale were used to collect data. Results: The study result showed that the samples had good pregnancy experience and reported mild-to-moderate level of anxiety. There was a weak positive correlation between pregnancy experience and antenatal anxiety (0.247) which was significant at P &lt; 0.01 level of significance. Comparison among trimesters revealed that in the second trimester pregnancy event was less leading to reduction in anxiety which was the least among all the trimesters. Conclusion: Pregnancy experience and anxiety will be the major determining factor for the fetal development. Ensuring positive pregnancy experience will reduce anxiety and improve good fetal growth.

Association between spiritual well-being and anxiety among high-risk pregnant women

Background: Pregnancy anxiety occurs due to the transition period of a woman's life due to the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy. About 20% of all pregnancies have a risk of pregnancy that causes a source of stress and anxiety for pregnant women at high risk. Spiritual well-being is a factor that contributes to the quality of life in mothers with high-risk pregnancies.The aims: This study aims to determine the association between spiritual well-being and anxiety among high-risk pregnant women.Methods: The type of this research is quantitative non-experimental with a cross-sectional approach involving 96 pregnant women was selected using a purposive sampling technique. The instrument used was a spiritual well-being questionnaire in the form of a modified Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and a modified Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) questionnaire for high-risk pregnant women.Results: The results showed that spiritual well-being in the high category was 73 people (76 %), mild 22 people (22,9), and low 1 people (1%). The anxiety in the category of severe anxiety was 8 people (8,3%), moderate anxiety was 24 people (25%), mild anxiety was 31 people (32%), and no anxiety was 33 people (34,4%). The Spearman's rho analysis results obtained a p-value of 0,000 (p &lt;0, 05) with a correlation coefficient of r of -0.448.Conclusion: There was a significant association between spiritual well-being and anxiety among high-risk pregnant women. The higher the spiritual well-being, the lower the anxiety of high-risk pregnant women.

Paternal prevalence and risk factors for comorbid depression and anxiety across the first 2 years postpartum: A nationwide Canadian cohort study.

To determine the prevalence of comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms in fathers and investigate the predictors for comorbidity during the first- and second-year following birth. In a longitudinal Canadian study, couples were recruited within 3 weeks of childbirth. Fathers completed a survey after the birth of their child followed by questionnaires at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum on paternal depression and anxiety symptoms and potential risk factors. Sequential logistic regression was used for analysis. Of the 3217 enrolled fathers, 2544 (79.08%) provided data for at least one time point during the first year postpartum and 2442 (75.29%) in the second year. Overall, 569 fathers (22.4%) had comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms at some point during the first year postpartum (2.2% at baseline to 8.9% at 6 months), and 323 fathers (13.2%) had comorbidity at some point during their second year postpartum (8.1% at 18 months and 8.6% at 24 months). Strongest risk factors associated with paternal comorbidity were poor or fair perceived health at 4 weeks postpartum, depression before pregnancy, anxiety in the current pregnancy, significant adverse childhood experiences, positive ADHD screen, and victim of intimate partner violence. High rates of comorbidity among fathers in the first 2 years postpartum demonstrate the importance of perinatal mental health management at a family level. The identification of important modifiable comorbidity risk factors highlights areas for further research and the development of interventions to support paternal mental health to optimize child and family outcomes.

Association Between Awareness, Perceived Severity, and Behavioral Control of COVID -19 With Self-Care and Anxiety in Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study

ABSTRACT COVID-19 pandemic has caused a tidal wave of anxiety and stress among Iranians, especially pregnant women. This study aimed to assess the association between knowledge, perceived severity, and controllability of COVID-19 with self-care and health anxiety specially in pregnancy. This cross-sectional study was performed on 440 pregnant women. Data were collected using demographic-obstetrics characteristics, as well as the questionnaires of knowledge, perceived severity, and perceived controllability of the COVID-19, health anxiety, and self-care. Self-care was positively correlated with knowledge, perceived severity, and perceived controllability of the COVID-19. Nonetheless, health anxiety had a significant and inverse association with knowledge and perceived controllability, while there was a positive and significant correlation between perceived severity and health anxiety. Based on linear regression, three variables of knowledge, perceived severity, and perceived controllability of the COVID-19 could explain 46.3 and 17.5% of variations in self-care and health anxiety, respectively. It is suggested that due to the critical importance of prenatal care, managers, and health-care providers promote the use of such methods as telehealth and home-based caregivers, especially in areas with inadequate access to health care. So, the pregnant women can be followed up and receive medical care devoid of any stress and anxiety.

Gestational Exposure to Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors and Pregnancy Outcome; Exploring the Role of Bias and Confounders.

There is no other example in human teratology where, after more than 40 epidemiological studies, repeated meta-analyses and thousands of pregnancies, the fetal safety or risk of an agent has not been verified and settled.The objectives of the present review were to identify and discuss sources of bias that may lead clinicians and scientists to believe that SRIs cause malformation or other adverse outcomes, where, in fact, they may not.The present study highlights sources of bias that may explain why children exposed in utero to SRI exhibit higher rates of congenital malformations, mostly cardiovascular and other complications. It appears that pregnant women treated for depression and anxiety are distinctively different from healthy women in numerous covariates, which may confound pregnancy outcomes. Acknowledging and adjusting for these sources of bias are critical before one selects to withhold therapy for moderate or severe cases of depression and anxiety in pregnancy.

Self Healing Therapy in Lowering Anxiety During Pregnancy in The Era of Covid-19 Pandemic

Every pregnant woman experiences anxiety in pregnancy, the anxiety increases with the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in cases of pregnant women's deaths caused by Covid-19. Excessive fear in pregnant women due to this pandemic causes mothers to experience anxiety and worry in pregnancy. Type of quantitative analytical research, research design used Quasi Eksperiment One group pre-post test design is to apply Self-Healing (Self compassion) applied every morning when waking up and at night before going to bed and done regularly for 3 months. A sample of 120 pregnant women with purposive sampling techniques. Intrumen: HARS (Hamilton Anciety Rating Scale), Ceklist and Observation sheet, data analyzed using the Wilcoxon Test. Most of the respondents before Self-Healing therapy, 62.5% had moderate anxiety levels and after doing Self-Healing therapy, the respondents were mild, which was 77.5%. Analysis with the Wilcoxon Test obtained a p-value of 0.001 correlation coefficient (r) 0.125 which can be concluded there is an effect of Self-Healing therapy on decreased anxiety during pregnancy.

Literatur Review: Prenatal Yoga for Anxiety in Pregnancy

Physiological and psychological changes during pregnancy affect anxiety in pregnant women. Such anxiety will have a major impact on childbirth preparation and also face the birth of the baby. This anxiety if not minimized during pregnancy has an impact on the psychological of pregnant women and nifas. Therefore the purpose of this literature study is to find out the benefits of prenatal yoga to overcome anxiety in pregnancy. The Google Scholar database is used to search for research articles. Literature searches using the keywords pregnancy, prenatal yoga, anxiety with rriteria inclusion articles used are articles from 2013-2021, primary articles, fulltext and research subjects of pregnant women. Based on the above search obtained 306 articles based on keywords and six articles will be analyzed with a descriptive narrative approach in this paper. Of the 306 research articles, seven articles were reviewed that met all the inclusion criteria and objectives of this literature study. Seven articles obtained were then conducted critical appraisal which was then analyzed using simplified thematic analysis. The sample criteria of pregnant women in the article are primigravida pregnant women, TM II and TM III gestational age, yoga at least 4x in pregnancy. Based on the results of this article review, by doing prenatal yoga regularly able to reduce the condition of anxiety in pregnant women.

Maternity Class as an Effort to Reduce Anxiety in Pregnancy

Anxiety in pregnancy were an important problem. The pregnancy anxiety rate in developing countries was around 1-37%, while in Indonesia it was around 10-25%. Anxiety had a bad impact on pregnancy, and it needs to be fixed. Maternity class is a program to enrich the knowledge of mothers and expected to minimize the mother’s anxiety. Based on the prior study, it was found that the maternity class program had not been effectively implemented. The purpose was to determine the effect of maternity class intervention to the anxiety of primigravida. This was a quasi-experimental with a one group pre-test post-test design. The sampling technique was purposive sampling with 20 respondents. This used Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) questionnaire. Statistical analysis used paired T test. The results showed a P value of 0.000, it means that maternity class could influence the level of pregnant women anxiety. As a conclusion, there was a significant effect after being given maternity class on the anxiety level of pregnant women, therefore the maternity class program should be carried out optimally.

Prenatal Anxiety and Exercise. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The prevalence of prenatal anxiety has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety is associated with other cardiovascular, physiological, and mental illnesses, resulting in adverse health effects for the mother and foetus. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of physical activity (PA) during pregnancy on the prevalence of prenatal anxiety or symptoms of anxiety. A systematic review and two meta-analyses were performed (Registration No. CRD42021275333). Peer-reviewed articles reporting the effect of a PA intervention on anxiety during pregnancy were included. The first meta-analysis (MA) included 10 studies reporting final scores of prenatal anxiety. A negative association between moderate PA during pregnancy and prenatal anxiety was found in this analysis (z = −2.62, p < 0.01; ES = −0.46, 95% CI = −0.80, −12, I2 = 84%, Pheterogeneity = 0.001). The second MA included eight studies in which measures both before and after a PA intervention were reported. The findings of this analysis revealed a positive association between exercise practice during pregnancy and a decrease in prenatal anxiety scores (z = −3.39, p < 0.001; ES = −0.48, 95% CI = −0.76, −0.20, I2 = 71%, Pheterogeneity = 0.001). Supervised PA during pregnancy could prevent and reduce prenatal anxiety and anxiety symptoms.