title: Stress and anxiety in pregnant women exposed to ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the levels of anxiety and stress during pregnancy among women who are routinely offered ultrasound at first and second trimesters.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study involving 296 women, in which 146 pregnant women without any medical problem were compared with 150 nonpregnant women. Both groups were submitted to the Lipp Inventory of Stress Symptoms for Adults and to the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effect of pregnancy on the anxiety and stress levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistical difference between pregnant and nonpregnant women [56.8% (83/146) vs. 48.6% (73/150), odds ratio (OR) 1.39 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-2.19] regarding the level of stress. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the only significant independent predictor of stress was maternal age (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.96; P = 0.045) for the pregnant women and monthly income and religious belief for the nonpregnant group. Pregnant women had a higher level of anxiety compared with the nonpregnant (15.7% vs. 2.6%, P = 0.0002) and ultrasound examination decreased the anxiety level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pregnant women did not have a higher level of stress compared with the nonpregnant women, and maternal age is the only significant independent predictor of stress. Pregnant women are more anxious, and after the ultrasound examination, the level of anxiety decreased.
authors: Maternal Fetal Medicine Unit, Servidor Público Estadual de São Paulo 'Francisco Morato Oliveira' Hospital, Sao Paulo 04039-032, Brazil.
authors: Elaine C P
authors: EC
authors: Da Silva
authors: Sônia V L
authors: SV
authors: Silva
authors: Rievani
authors: R
authors: Damião
authors: Eduardo B
authors: EB
authors: Fonseca
authors: Sidney
authors: S
authors: Garcia
authors: Umberto G
authors: UG
authors: Lippi