Health consequences of severe life events for pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between severe life events and disorders in pregnancy.


METHODS
Cohort study of pregnant women with and without life events.


METHODS
Three Scandinavian cities, Uppsala (Sweden), Bergen and Trondheim (Norway).


METHODS
451 parous women (para 1 and para 2) attending antenatal care. 107 women did and 344 did not experience severe life events just prior to or during pregnancy.


METHODS
Pregnancy disorders, frequency of sick leave and admission to hospital.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in pregnancy disorders between pregnant women with and without severe life events. However, women with life events were relatively more on sick leave and significantly more often admitted to hospital than pregnant women without this kind of distress in pregnancy.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe life events seem largely unrelated to the incidence of specific pregnancy disorders, but seem to have an adverse influence on the pregnant women's general health, as indicated by the use of sick leave and hospitalization.
Rostad
B
B
Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, University Medical Centre, Trondheim, Norway.
Schei
B
B
Jacobsen
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D009664:Norway; D010343:Patient Admission; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013548:Sweden