Birth trauma and its sequelae.
Reported international rates of posttraumatic stress disorder due to birth trauma range as high as 5.9%. Trauma associated with perinatal events, however, is often lacking in discussions of women's trauma. The main focus of this article is on the description of 3 qualitative studies on birth trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder due to birth trauma, and the anniversary of a traumatic birth. Birth trauma is placed in the context of trauma theory. Implications for clinical practice are addressed.
Beck
Cheryl Tatano
CT
School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269-2026, USA. Cheryl.beck@uconn.edu