Traumatic anticipation of childbirth and disordered eating during pregnancy

ABSTRACT

Background

While research on Fear Of Childbirth (FOC) during pregnancy is on the rise, research regarding pretraumatic stress reactions is lacking. Moreover, less is known regarding negative anticipation of childbirth and Eating Disorders (ED). This study aims at identifying typologies of women in the prepartum period based on FOC and pretraumatic stress symptoms and investigating whether or not the identified profiles differ on levels of bulimic symptoms and Drive for Thinness (DT).

Participants and methods

a sample of 213 pregnant women completed questionnaires assessing FOC, pretraumatic stress, DT and bulimic symptoms.

Results

four clusters based on pretraumatic stress and FOC symptoms were identified: one characterised by traumatic symptoms, one showing moderated FOC symptoms, one with high symptomatology and one with low symptoms. Higher ED symptoms were found in women with both FOC and pretraumatic stress symptoms, and in the cluster showing elevated pretraumatic stress symptomatology.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study focusing on anticipated traumatic reactions and ED in pregnant women. While some women evidenced FOC and pretraumatic stress symptoms, two different clusters, one with FOC and one with pretraumatic stress, were found. These findings suggest that, while sharing similarities, these constructs are different.

KEYWORDS:

• Pregnancy
• pretraumatic stress
• fear of childbirth
• drive for thinness
• Bulimia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Participants had to give their willingness to participate by ticking in a box.

2. No cut-off score has been proposed to suggest potential pretraumatic stress.

3. d > .0.2 for small effect size, d > 0.5 for medium effect size and d >.0.8 for large effect size.

4. Regardless the symptoms.