title: Psychological effects of the Nairobi US embassy bomb blast on pregnant women and their children.
abstract: A descriptive study was carried out in pregnant women who were affected by the 1998 bomb blast in Nairobi, Kenya, and their babies who were in utero at the time of the blast. The psychological effects of the event on the exposed women were severe. After three years, the average score on the Impact of Event Scale - Revised was still higher than 29 for the three subscales combined, suggesting that most of the study group was still suffering from clinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The scores on all Childhood Personality Scale (CPS) subscales were significantly higher in children of the study group than in controls. The mothers' PTSD symptom levels at one month after the blast correlated with the children's CPS profiles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi/Africa Mental Health Foundation, Ralph Bunche Road, P.O. Box 48423-00100, Nairobi, Kenya;
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Ndetei
authors.forename: Ruthie C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rono
authors.forename: Susan W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Mwangi
authors.forename: Benson
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ototo
authors.forename: Jael
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alaro
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esakwa
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mwangi
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kamau
authors.forename: Caleb J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Othieno
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mutiso