Stress-reducing Interventions During Pregnancy

Abstract Stress-reducing Interventions During Pregnancy Sandy Morales The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of stress-reducing interventions on birth outcomes of abused and non-abused pregnant women and to synthesize the available evidence with recommendations for childbirth educators to implement during prenatal care. Electronic searches were conducted in the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Insurance Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed for interventions during pregnancy. Key word searches were conducted using the terms stress, pregnancy, depression, intervention, abuse, IPV, and stress management. Nine studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on interventions for: (a) women at risk for or currently in abusive relationships (n=4); and, (b) stress reduction for nonspecific life stress (n=5). Studies were categorized by abused and non-abused pregnant women. Individual interventions were the most common interventions for abused pregnant women. Intervention outcomes included decreased stress/anxiety levels, decreased rates of major depression, reduced recurrence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), increased provider-patient IPV discussion, and increased self-esteem. A limited amount of data supports the efficacy of interventions designed for stress during pregnancy or for pregnant women who have experienced or currently face stress from abuse. More research on stress during pregnancy, particularly stress from abusive situations, is need before interventions can conclusively be determined as beneficial for abused, pregnant women.