Posttraumatic Stress in Mothers Related to Giving Birth Prematurely: A Mixed Research Synthesis

Background: Globally the preterm birth rate for 184 countries in 2010 was 11.1%. Preterm births can be a traumatic experience for mothers.

Objective: This article provides a mixed research synthesis of the quantitative and qualitative studies on posttraumatic stress in mothers who have given birth prematurely.

Design: Narrative synthesis was the mixed research synthesis approach used.

Results: Included in this narrative synthesis were quantitative prevalence studies ( n = 19), quantitative intervention studies ( n = 6), and qualitative studies ( n = 5). Prevalence rates ranged from 14% to 79%. Four of the intervention studies had significant results and two did not. Qualitative data synthesis revealed five themes: (a) shocked and horrified, (b) consuming guilt, (c) pervasive anxiety and hypervigilance, (d) intrusive thoughts, and (e) numbing and avoiding reminders.

Conclusions: Women's traumatic experiences of preterm birth are clearly important issues for psychiatric nurses to address.