School of Behavioral Sciences, Academic College of Tel-Aviv-Yafo, 68114, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Arch Womens Ment Health. 2022 Aug;25(4):797-805. doi: 10.1007/s00737-022-01243-7. Epub 2022 Jun 13.
Although continuous support during childbirth is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and has well-established benefits, the practice is still not routinely implemented in all maternity settings. We studied the possible effect of an additional lay companion (other than the partner) on childbirth experience and postpartum post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Two hundred and forty-six women, who gave birth in maternity wards of a large tertiary health center in Israel, responded to questionnaires in person at 1-4 days (Demographic questions and the childbirth experience questionnaire) and on-line at 8-10 weeks postpartum (City Birth Trauma Scale). Obstetric data were taken from the medical files. Women who were accompanied by their partners and an additional companion were lower in birth-related PTSD symptoms (M = 1.17, SD = 2.61) than women accompanied by only their partner (M = 1.53, SD = 2.79) (F(2, 240) = 4.0, p < 0.05). Women who had a single companion (M = 1.44, SD = 2.61) showed more birth-related PTSD symptoms than women who had two or more companions (M = 1.17, SD = 2.52) (F(1, 241) = 6.4, p < 0.05). In addition, women who had a single companion were higher in general PTSD symptoms (M = 3.91, SD = 4.73) than women who had two or more companions (M = 2.31, SD = 4.29) (F(1, 241) = 4.2, p < 0.05). No differences were found in childbirth experiences of women with single or multiple companions. Allowing more than one lay companion (other than the partner) may be a simple cost-effective way of providing beneficial support in all birth settings, promoting respectful maternity care and reducing childbirth-related PTSD levels and by that future psychopathology sequela.
尽管世界卫生组织（WHO）建议在分娩过程中提供持续支持，并且这种做法已经被证实有很多好处，但在所有的产科环境中，这种做法仍然没有常规实施。我们研究了额外的陪产人员（除了伴侣之外的人员）对分娩体验和产后创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的可能影响。246 名在以色列一家大型三级保健中心的产科病房分娩的妇女在分娩后 1-4 天（人口统计学问题和分娩体验问卷）亲自回答问卷，并在产后 8-10 周（城市分娩创伤量表）在线回答。产科数据取自病历。有伴侣和额外陪产人员陪伴的妇女的分娩相关 PTSD 症状（M=1.17，SD=2.61）低于只有伴侣陪伴的妇女（M=1.53，SD=2.79）（F（2,240）=4.0，p<0.05）。有单一陪产人员的妇女（M=1.44，SD=2.61）的分娩相关 PTSD 症状比有两个或更多陪产人员的妇女（M=1.17，SD=2.52）更多（F（1,241）=6.4，p<0.05）。此外，有单一陪产人员的妇女的一般 PTSD 症状（M=3.91，SD=4.73）高于有两个或更多陪产人员的妇女（M=2.31，SD=4.29）（F（1,241）=4.2，p<0.05）。有单一或多个陪产人员的妇女的分娩体验没有差异。允许有一个以上的陪产人员（除了伴侣之外的人员）可能是一种简单的、具有成本效益的方法，可以在所有分娩环境中提供有益的支持，促进尊重产妇护理，并降低分娩相关 PTSD 水平，从而减少未来的精神病理学后遗症。
