Supplemental written information improves prenatal counseling: a randomized trial.

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Neonatology

Background:

• Maternal understanding of prematurity is crucial for informed decision-making and anxiety management.
• Current counseling methods may not fully address complex information regarding premature birth risks and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of supplementing verbal gestational age-specific counseling with written materials on maternal knowledge of prematurity.
• To assess the effect of this combined approach on maternal anxiety levels.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 60 high-risk pregnant participants (23-34 weeks gestation).
• Intervention group received written gestational age-specific information before verbal counseling; control group received only verbal information.
• Knowledge assessed via Prematurity Knowledge Questionnaire; anxiety measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed significantly better knowledge of long-term problems (71% vs. 45%) and numerical outcome data (48% vs. 29%) compared to the control group.
• Knowledge of short-term problems did not differ significantly between groups.
• Maternal anxiety scores decreased in the intervention group post-counseling.

Conclusions:

• Combining written information with verbal counseling enhances maternal understanding of complex prematurity risks and outcomes.
• This integrated approach is effective in reducing anxiety among women facing potential premature delivery.
• Written materials are a valuable adjunct to verbal counseling in prenatal education for high-risk pregnancies.