The Effect of Pregnant Women's Anxiety on Apgar Score and Birth Weight of Newborns (2009)

Introduction & Previous studies showed that anxiety disorders are common in fertility ages. This studies estimate about 15 percent of Iranian women experience anxiety during pregnancy. The anxiety during pregnancy can make important outcome such as decrease Apgar score and low birth weight (LBW). This study was done to survey the relationship between women's anxiety during pregnancy and Apgar score and birth weight of newborns. This study is a cross sectional and descriptive analytical design that was done to survey relationship between women's anxiety during pregnancy and Apgar score and birth weight of newborns. A convenience sampling procedure adapted to selecting subjects (n=150). Instruments for data collection were State and trait anxiety inventory and demographic variables form that competed by subjects immediately after stabilizations of their post partum conditions. The mean of state and trait anxiety scores respectively in women were 42.26 ± 13.33 and 38.70± 10.75.results of this study showed significant relationship between low birth weigh and woman’s trait anxiety (r= - 0/41, p= <.05) and also between infant Abgar scores in the times of 1 and 5 after birth and woman’s state anxiety score (r= - 0/33. – 0/31, p= <. 05). According to the results of this study can concluded that women's anxiety during pregnancy have negative effects on labors outcomes, therefore applying specific approach to reducing anxiety among pregnant women is necessary.