Fear of childbirth according to parity, gestational age, and obstetric history

<jats:p><jats:bold>Objective </jats:bold> To examine fear of childbirth according to parity, gestational age, and obstetric history.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Design </jats:bold> A questionnaire study.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Population and setting </jats:bold> 1400 unselected pregnant women in outpatient maternity clinics of a university central hospital.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Methods </jats:bold> Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W‐DEQ) and preferred mode of delivery.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Main outcome measures </jats:bold> W‐DEQ and VAS scores according to parity, gestational age, obstetric history, and preferred mode of delivery.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Results </jats:bold> The W‐DEQ and VAS scores were higher in nulliparous (W‐DEQ 72.0 ± 20.0 [mean ± SD] and VAS 4.7 [median]) than parous women (65.4 ± 21.9; 3.2, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.001 for both W‐DEQ and VAS). Higher W‐DEQ and VAS scores were found for those beyond 21 weeks of gestation compared with those before (W‐DEQ 71.6 ± 23.0 versus 66.6 ± 20.0, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.001; VAS 4.7 versus 3.2, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.001). Caesarean section was preferred mode of delivery for 8.1% and these women scored higher on fear (W‐DEQ 87.6 ± 26.5, VAS median 7.0) than those who preferred vaginal delivery (W‐DEQ 61.8 ± 18.7, VAS 2.7, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.001, respectively). Those with a previous caesarean scored higher on fear (W‐DEQ 73.2 ± 23.5, VAS 5.1) than parous women without previous caesarean (W‐DEQ 63.3 ± 20.8, VAS 2.9, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.001, respectively). Those with a history of a vacuum extraction (VE) (W‐DEQ 70.6 ± 19.7, VAS 5.0) had higher fear scores than those without (W‐DEQ 64.8 ± 22.0, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.05 and VAS 3.0, <jats:italic>P </jats:italic>< 0.001).</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>Conclusion </jats:bold> Severe fear of childbirth was more common in nulliparous women, in later pregnancy, and in women with previous caesarean section or VE. Caesarean section as a preferred mode of childbirth was strongly associated with high score in both W‐DEQ and VAS.</jats:p>