The influence of perinatal loss on anxiety in multigravidas

Abstract

Objective: To compare multigravid women with and without a history of perinatal loss on state anxiety, pregnancy anxiety, and optimism.

Design: Comparative descriptive; cross-sectional.

Setting: Private obstetric offices in a small northeastern city in the United States.

Participants: The sample included 160 women who were between 17 and 28 weeks gestation: 96 multigravidas with no history of loss and 74 women with a history of one or two losses.

Main outcome measures: State anxiety, pregnancy anxiety, optimism, and perinatal loss history.

Results: No group differences were found on demographic variables, state anxiety, or optimism. However, pregnancy anxiety was higher in women with a history of perinatal loss. Pregnancy anxiety was also correlated with desire to see care provider more often and number of phone calls between visits, and was not correlated with the number of living children.

Conclusion: Women experiencing pregnancy subsequent to perinatal loss have greater pregnancy anxiety: That is, they are more concerned about their pregnancies and their babies than women without a history of perinatal loss. State anxiety and optimism do not differentiate these two groups. This heightened anxiety should be acknowledged and more frequent contact with the care provider should be offered.