XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!   Javascript Syndication for RxPG News

Research Health World General
 
  Home
 
 Latest Research
 Cancer
 Psychiatry
  Depression
  Neuropsychiatry
  Personality Disorders
  Bulimia
  Anxiety
   Phobia
   Panic Disorders
   Stress
   PTSD
   GAD
   Agoraphobia
   OCD
   Social Phobia
  Substance Abuse
  Suicide
  CFS
  Psychoses
  Child Psychiatry
  Learning-Disabilities
  Psychology
  Forensic Psychiatry
  Mood Disorders
  Sleep Disorders
  Peri-Natal Psychiatry
  Psychotherapy
  Anorexia Nervosa
 Genetics
 Surgery
 Aging
 Ophthalmology
 Gynaecology
 Neurosciences
 Pharmacology
 Cardiology
 Obstetrics
 Infectious Diseases
 Respiratory Medicine
 Pathology
 Endocrinology
 Immunology
 Nephrology
 Gastroenterology
 Biotechnology
 Radiology
 Dermatology
 Microbiology
 Haematology
 Dental
 ENT
 Environment
 Embryology
 Orthopedics
 Metabolism
 Anaethesia
 Paediatrics
 Public Health
 Urology
 Musculoskeletal
 Clinical Trials
 Physiology
 Biochemistry
 Cytology
 Traumatology
 Rheumatology
 
 Medical News
 Health
 Opinion
 Healthcare
 Professionals
 Launch
 Awards & Prizes
 
 Careers
 Medical
 Nursing
 Dental
 
 Special Topics
 Euthanasia
 Ethics
 Evolution
 Odd Medical News
 Feature
 
 World News
 Tsunami
 Epidemics
 Climate
 Business
 
 India
Search

Last Updated: Nov 18, 2006 - 12:32:53 PM

Anxiety Channel
subscribe to Anxiety newsletter

Latest Research : Psychiatry : Anxiety

   DISCUSS   |   EMAIL   |   PRINT
Anxious fathers make caesarean ops more painful for mothers
Jan 26, 2006 - 11:45:00 PM, Reviewed by: Dr. Priya Saxena

Fathers who are anxious during a caesarean operation may increase the pain experienced by the mother after the delivery of their baby, according to new research published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.

 
In a study involving 65 women scheduled for an elective caesarean, researchers found that the way their birth partners felt during the operation was related to the woman�s own levels of fear and anxiety about the operation.

This increased the amount of pain the woman felt immediately after the operation, which could affect her immediate recovery as well as potentially influence other related factors such as breast feeding and parent-child bonding.

The lead researchers from the University of Bath (Dr Keogh) and Imperial College London (Dr Holdcroft) suggest that helping prepare the birth partner for a caesarean, both at antenatal classes and before the operation, could help reduce the pain experienced by the mother and improve the birth experience.

One in four babies born in the UK is now delivered by caesarean section (CS), with many hospitals delivering almost 30 per cent in this way. Fear of pain during childbirth is often cited as one of the contributory factors for the increasing rate of CS delivery.

But despite the popular notion that caesarean deliveries are the �easy option�, with respect to overall pain experiences compared with labour pain, this may not be the case.

�Caesarean sections involve major surgery and are often performed whilst the mother is awake under regional anaesthesia which numbs the lower part of the body,� said Dr Ed Keogh from the University of Bath.

�Whilst actual pain during a caesarean is usually more controlled than a vaginal delivery, the whole procedure is not painless.

�Women who have had a caesarean tend to experience much longer periods of postnatal pain and recovery. They also have mobility restrictions placed on them whilst they recover from the surgery, such as picking up heavy items, reaching upwards and driving.

�Whilst it has become a social expectation that birth partners accompany and support mothers during a caesarean delivery, it is unclear what part birth partners play in women�s experience of childbirth.

�Whilst some women say that birth partners improve birth experiences, others report less positive outcomes. It is not unreasonable for the birth partner to have some feelings of anxiety and fear about the operation they are about to witness.�

The women involved in the study were recruited from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London during regular ante-natal check ups.

Almost all of the women (61) had chosen their husband or partner to be their birth partner, with just four deciding on a female birth partner.

The women and their birth partners were questioned before, during and after the delivery about their fears, expectations and experiences. The women were also assessed for their pain levels at different stages of the procedure and immediately afterwards.

The study revealed that those women who had negative birth expectations before the operation had the most fear experiences during the delivery, which in turn was related to greater post-operative pain.

It also showed that women are most afraid during the application of the nerve block used to numb the lower part of the body, rather than the initial incision as the researchers expected.

�Maternal fear fluctuates during a caesarean section but it can be influenced by the psychosocial factors around them, including their birth partner,� said Dr Keogh.

�Anecdotally a number of birth partners told us that they had little choice in attending the caesarean operation and felt ill prepared.

�Birth partners can have potentially beneficial effects on maternal birth experiences. Rather than removing them from the operating theatre altogether, it would be better to target the emotional wellbeing of the birth partner to help reduce the anxiety and fear experienced by the mother.

�Since anxiety can increase recovery times, it would be useful to study whether increased maternal fear during the procedure has an impact on mothers, such as longer-term recovery from surgery as well as other related factors such as breast feeding and parent-child bonding.�
 

- Psychosomatic Medicine
 

www.bath.ac.uk

 
Subscribe to Anxiety Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 

The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities, with an international reputation for quality research and teaching. In 16 subject areas the University of Bath is rated in the top ten in the country.

Related Anxiety News

Anxiety sensitivity linked to future psychological disorders
Anxiety Disorders and Physical Illness
Men, women have similar rates of compulsive buying
Mental illnesses double up in Katrina survivors
Kids with OCD bullied more than others
Psychological debriefing after trauma does not reduce PTSD
Tsunami Survivors Face Increased Risk of Mental Disorders
Substantial burden of PTSD among people after disasters
OCD has multiple genetic associations
Intermittent Explosive Disorder could be behind cases of road rage and spousal abuse


For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 

© Copyright 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us