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Review
. 2024 Jul 14;16(7):e64508.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.64508. eCollection 2024 Jul.

Influence of Antenatal Education on Birth Outcomes: A Systematic Review Focusing on Primiparous Women

Anna-Maria Athinaidou  1 , Eirini Vounatsou  2 , Ilianna Pappa  1 , Vikentia C Harizopoulou  3 , Antigoni Sarantaki  1
Affiliations
Review

Influence of Antenatal Education on Birth Outcomes: A Systematic Review Focusing on Primiparous Women

Anna-Maria Athinaidou et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

The primary objective of prenatal education programs is to furnish expectant mothers with the necessary knowledge for childbirth and early parenting. Despite the extensive implementation of these programs, the efficacy of these interventions remains unclear. This systematic review endeavored to consolidate the extant evidence pertaining to the effects of prenatal education on birth outcomes and experiences. Fourteen studies, comprising various study designs executed across diverse countries, were incorporated in this review. The outcomes assessed in these studies encompassed fear and anxiety, pain, delivery mode, interventions, postpartum depression, and self-efficacy. Additionally, the risk of bias and study limitations were also summarized. The results manifested that prenatal education was effective in diminishing the fear and anxiety associated with childbirth and enhancing self-efficacy in the majority of the studies. Moreover, several studies found that engaging in prenatal education augmented the preference for unmedicated vaginal birth. However, the effects of prenatal education on postpartum outcomes were less consistent. The primary constraints of the included studies were their minute sample sizes and brief follow-up periods. Nonetheless, the existing evidence proposes that prenatal education is beneficial for first-time mothers in terms of alleviating anxiety and augmenting agency during delivery. Prenatal education can equip pregnant individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to navigate the perinatal period successfully. Further research is requisite to identify the optimal practices for diverse populations on a global scale.

Keywords: antenatal classes; childbirth self-efficacy; delivery mode; fear of childbirth; maternal experiences; postpartum depression; prenatal education; vaginal birth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) diagram for the selection of the included studies
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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