Fear of childbirth and depressive symptoms among postnatal women: A cross-sectional survey from Chhattisgarh, India

Prevalence rates of Fear of Birth and postnatal depressive symptoms have not been explored in Chhattisgarh, India.

To validate Hindi Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire and to study the prevalence of Fear of Birth and depressive symptoms among postnatal women.

A cross-sectional survey at seventeen public health facilities in two districts of Chhattisgarh, India among postnatal women who gave birth vaginally or through C-section to a live neonate. Participants were recruited through consecutive sampling based on health facility records of daily births. Data were collected through one-to-one interviews using the Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire Version B and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Non-parametric associations and linear regression data analyses were performed.

The Hindi Wijma Delivery Experience Questionnaire Version B had reliable psychometric properties. The prevalence of Fear of Birth and depressive symptoms among postnatal women were 13.1% and 17.1%, respectively, and their presence had a strong association (p<0.001). Regression analyses revealed that, among women having vaginal births: coming for institutional births due to health professionals' advice, giving birth in a district hospital and having postnatal depressive symptoms were associated with presence of FoB; while depressive symptoms were associated with having FoB, perineal suturing without pain relief, and giving birth to a low birth-weight neonate in a district hospital.

The prevalence of Fear of Birth and depressive symptoms is influenced by pain management during childbirth and care processes between women and providers. These care practices should be improved for better mental health outcomes among postnatal women.