title: Women's attachment as a predictor of pain during labour and post-delivery: a prospective observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Labour is considered to be one of the most painful and significant experiences in a woman's life. The aim of this study was to examine whether women's attachment style is a predictor of the pain experienced throughout labour and post-delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two pregnant women were assessed during the third trimester of pregnancy and during labour. Adult attachment was assessed with the Adult Attachment Scale ' Revised. The perceived intensity of labour pain was measured using a visual analogue scale for pain in the early stage of labour, throughout labour and post-delivery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women with an insecure attachment style reported more pain at 3 cm of cervical dilatation (p &lt; 0.05), before the administration of analgesia (p &lt; 0.01) and post-delivery (p &lt; 0.05) than those securely attached. In multivariate models, attachment style was a significant predictor of labour pain at 3 cm of cervical dilatation and before the first administration of analgesia but not of the perceived pain post-delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings confirm that labour pain is influenced by relevant psychological factors and suggest that a woman's attachment style may be a risk factor for greater pain during labour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future studies in the context of obstetric pain may consider the attachment style as an indicator of individual differences in the pain response during labour. This may have important implications in anaesthesiology and to promote a relevant shift in institutional practices and therapeutic procedures.
authors: Departamento de Anestesiologia. Maternidade Alfredo da Costa. Lisboa. Portugal. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade do Porto. Porto. Portugal.
authors: José Manuel
authors: JM
authors: Costa Martins
authors: Departamento de EducaçÉo. Universidade de Aveiro. Aveiro. Portugal.
authors: Carlos Fernandes
authors: CF
authors: da Silva
authors: Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da EducaçÉo. Universidade de Coimbra. Coimbra. Portugal.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Pereira
authors: Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada. Instituto Universitário. Lisboa. Portugal.
authors: Henriqueta
authors: H
authors: Martins
authors: Departamento de Psicologia. Maternidade Alfredo da Costa. Lisboa. Portugal.
authors: Célia
authors: C
authors: Oliveira
authors: Departamento de Anestesiologia. Maternidade Alfredo da Costa. Lisboa. Portugal.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Puga
authors: Departamento de Neurociências Clínicas e Saúde Mental. Hospital de SÉo JoÉo. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade do Porto. Porto. Portugal.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Coelho
authors: Departamento de Anestesiologia. Hospital de SÉo JoÉo. Faculdade de Medicina. Universidade do Porto. Porto. Portugal.
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Tavares
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D048949:Labor Pain / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009769:Object Attachment; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult