Adverse childhood experiences influence development of pain during pregnancy

To investigate the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and pain with onset during pregnancy.

Cross-sectional study.

Eighteen antenatal clinics in southern Mid-Sweden.

Of 293 women invited to participate, 232 (79%) women agreed to participate in early pregnancy and were assessed in late pregnancy.

Questionnaires were distributed in early and late pregnancy. The questionnaires sought information on socio-demography, ACE, pain location by pain drawing and pain intensity by visual analogue scales. Distribution of pain was coded in 41 predetermined areas.

Pain in third trimester with onset during present pregnancy: intensity, location and number of pain locations.

In late pregnancy, 62% of the women reported any ACE and 72% reported any pain location with onset during the present pregnancy. Among women reporting any ACE the median pain intensity was higher compared with women without such an experience (p = 0.01). The accumulated ACE displayed a positive association with the number of reported pain locations in late pregnancy (rs = 0.19, p = 0.02). This association remained significant after adjusting for background factors in multiple regression analysis (p = 0.01). When ACE was dichotomized the prevalence of pain did not differ between women with and without ACE. The subgroup of women reporting physical abuse as a child reported a higher prevalence of sacral and pelvic pain (p = 0.0003 and p = 0.02, respectively).

Adverse childhood experiences were associated with higher pain intensities and larger pain distributions in late pregnancy, which are risk factors for transition to chronic pain postpartum.