Women who experience anxiety during pregnancy may give premature births

A recent study reports that Women who experience anxiety during pregnancy may deliver premature babies.
The research was published recently in the journal Health Psychology. Previous research has found that up to one in four pregnant women has clinically elevated anxiety symptoms and that anxiety can be a risk factor for preterm birth or birth before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

The researchers found that pregnancy-related anxiety in the third trimester was most strongly associated with earlier births. However, general anxiety in the first trimester also contributed to the risk for early birth, they said. The study suggests that doctors should screen women for general anxiety early in pregnancy just as they commonly screen for depression.