The current status of psychological birth trauma in vaginal delivery women and associated factors: a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study

Weiwei Wei ¹ Hong Qin ^1,2* Xiaoyan Feng ¹ Xiaochang Yang ¹

• ¹ Department of Obstetrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, Chongqing Municipality, China
• ² Nursing Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China

Objective: To investigate the current status of psychological birth trauma in vaginal delivery women and associated factors at 3 and 42 days postpartum.Methods: This questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study was conducted on vaginal delivery in 306 women admitted to a grade III-A general hospital using convenience sampling between February and April of 2024. Participants were questioned using a general questionnaire, the Perception of Birth Trauma Scale (PBT), and the Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PP-PTSD) at 3 and 42 days postpartum. Univariate and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to identify factors associated with PBT at 42 days postpartum. Pearson correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between PBT and PP-PTSD in vaginal delivery women.Results: The difference between the average score of PBT at 3 and 42 days postpartum was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The difference between the average score of PP-PTSD at 3 and 42 days postpartum has no statistical significance (P > 0.05). The positive rates of PP-PTSD (score≥38) at 3 and 42 days postpartum were 5% and 2%, respectively.Univariate analysis showed that feeding mode, the effect of breast swelling on mood, separation from the newborn, separation time from the newborn, place of puerperium, psychological discomfort caused by delivering with others, use of epidural anesthesia, delivery time, advice others to deliver vaginally, the effects of wound pain, time of the postnatal wound pain, and who decides on abnormal delivery were independently associated with PBT (p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that, separate from the newborn, separation time from newborn, place of puerperium, psychological discomfort caused by delivering with others, the effects of wound pain, time of postnatal wound pain, and who decides on abnormal delivery were independently associated with PBT(p<0.05).Pearson correlation analysis showed that PBT and its four dimensions were positively correlated with PP-PTSD (r = 0.488, P<0.001). Conclusion: Vaginal delivery women reported higher PBT at 42 days postpartum. Society should pay attention to the risk factors and take corresponding intervention measures to reduce the degree of PBT and promote maternal and child health.