COVID-19: what about pregnant women during first lockdown in Italy?

ABSTRACT

Objective

Lombardy was the most affected Italian region by COVID-19. To limit the spread of infection, the government issued a national social lockdown. The obstetrical-gynaecological emergencies and essential services were guaranteed to protect pregnant women’s health, and a return to a medicalised childbirth was necessary. This situation could had amplified risk factors on the psychological wellbeing of mothers-to-be. Indeed, the last trimester of pregnancy is a period of increased vulnerability itself.

Method

For better support women who experience pregnancy during social lockdown, we explored the impact of COVID-19 on psychic wellbeing of two samples of pregnant women (40 living in Lombardy and 35 in Tuscany).

Results

T-test and correlations analyses revealed that women living in the Lombardy had a higher perception of the centrality of COVID-19. Further, women that considered the pandemic as a significant event, experienced a higher perinatal depressive symptom. Those symptoms also arose in women who presented a higher number of intrusion and hyperarousal symptoms and a lower ability to plan.

Conclusion

Pregnant women should be closely monitored and supported, especially those who live in high-risk areas, such as Lombardy Region. The target intervention could be focused on improving resilience to reduce depressive symptomatology.

KEYWORDS:

• COVID-19
• lockdown
• perinatal depression
• pregnant women’s mental health

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).