Childbirth in different cultures: Psychophysical reactions of women delivering in US, German, French and Italian hospitals

Abstract

Childbirth is a crucial experience in women's life cycle, being both a biological and a cultural event. The subjective reactions to this event can be influenced by different childbirth management approaches and by cultural factors. The goal of this study was to examine: (a) the characteristics of different hospital settings in four urban centres in Europe and in the USA, by means of some indicators of the quality of childbirth care provided; (b) the psychophysical reactions of women delivering in these industrialized countries. Results show the existence of different patterns of childbirth care in the four cities examined and remarkable differences in women's reactions to the birth of a child in relation to the culture they belong to.