Pre-existing trauma as a vulnerability factor for post-traumatic stress symptoms following childbirth

Women can develop posttraumatic stress symptoms in response to perceived traumatic childbirth (PTSS-FC) - a pressing, costly issue that is identified as a global public health problem. Risk factors of PTSS-FC include childbirth complications and women’s subjective experiences. This paper sought to ascertain whether interpersonal trauma may affect PTSS-FC using survey data gathered from 160 mothers. Interpersonal trauma had a significant relationship with general PTSS-FC but not with birth trauma or birth-related PTSS-FC and had no interaction effect with birth-related risk factors in predicting PTSS-FC. Experiences during childbirth are more detrimental to developing PTSS-FC than women’s interpersonal trauma history.