Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 21, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Existential meaning among first-time full-term and preterm mothers: a questionnaire study
Christina Prinds1, Dorte Hvidtjørn, Ole Mogensen
1Institute of Public Health (Ms Prinds and Drs Skytthe and Hvidt) and Institute of Clinical Research (Dr Hvidtjørn), University of Southern Denmark, Odense C, Denmark; and Department of Gynaechology and Obstetrics, Odense University Hospital, Odense C, Denmark (Dr Mogensen).
First-time mothers experience intensified existential meaning regardless of full-term or preterm birth. This study found no significant differences in existential attitudes between these groups.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Childbirth can be a transformative period, prompting existential reflection.
- First-time mothers may undergo significant life perspective shifts post-delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the intensification of existential meaning attitudes in first-time mothers.
- To compare these attitudes between mothers of full-term and preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- A national cross-sectional survey of Danish first-time mothers from 2010.
- Analysis of 5 core items related to existential meaning, life vulnerability, responsibility, life/death thoughts, and spirituality.
- Comparison between mothers who gave birth full-term and preterm.
Main Results:
- Existential meaning attitudes intensified similarly in both full-term and preterm infant groups.
- No statistically significant differences were found based on age, marital status, education, or birth method.
- Overall, attitudes related to existential meaning were intensified and comparable across both birth groups.
Conclusions:
- First-time motherhood intensifies existential meaning attitudes uniformly.
- The experience of giving birth, whether full-term or preterm, does not significantly alter the development of existential perspectives in new mothers.
More Related Videos
11:50Clinical Practice Protocol of Creative Music Therapy for Preterm Infants and Their Parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Published on: January 7, 2020
06:39Using a Murine Model of Psychosocial Stress in Pregnancy as a Translationally Relevant Paradigm for Psychiatric Disorders in Mothers and Infants
Published on: June 13, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Attachment
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Development of the Oral Microbiota
Regression Toward the Mean
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood