Risk factors for developing posttraumatic stress disorder following childbirth.

ABSTRACT

Women can develop childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) in at-term delivery with healthy baby outcome as well as following pre-term delivery and neonatal complications, a potential added stressor. No study compares risk factors of CB-PTSD associated with different infant outcomes. We investigated CB-PTSD risk factors by comparing women with or without neonatal complications. Analysis reveals the importance of antepartum and birth-related risk factors in CB-PTSD above and beyond child outcomes, suggesting childbirth is an independent stressor capable of evoking CB-PTSD.