[Hardiness test in obstetrics. Behavior of the pregnant woman facing the stress of labor and delivery].

BACKGROUND

Evaluation of the hardiness test, already used to evidentiate the ability to face the stress, among women in pregnancy, in order to evaluate the possibility to face the stress of labor and delivery.

METHODS

The test has been used in 67 normal pregnant women, with gestational age between the 32th and 36th week of gestation. The value of the hardiness test in the three components of "Challenge", "Control", and "Commitment" has been evaluated. These indexes have been correlated with the modality of delivery, age, choice of epidural analgesia, fetal weight and gestational age at delivery.

RESULTS

Higher incidence of vaginal delivery among subjects with high value of hardiness in relation with subjects with low value of hardiness has been found. The index parameter which seems most conditioning the ability to affront the stress of labor is the "Challenge". Significant correlation between the value of hardiness and other parameters of delivery are not evident.

CONCLUSIONS

The values of the Hardiness test seems to be significant, but it would be a mistake to use them as a predictive index of the modality of delivery; it seems to be most important to employ the test to assure more care to pregnant women with a reduction of the ability to face the stress of labor and delivery, in order to reduce the risk of problems in mother-child relations.