Lois M. Collins covers policy and research impacting families for the Deseret News.
SALT LAKE CITY — Birth trauma is surprisingly common but too often overlooked in maternity care. A just-released report by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and the Utah Department of Health and Human Services cites national estimates showing as many as 4 in 10 moms may experience some form of pregnancy-related trauma.
Many of the findings for the report, "Hearing the Mother's Voice: Birth Trauma in Utah," are based on in-depth interviews with several dozen women, providing insight into the range of birth trauma experiences and also how they are processed and dealt with — or aren't.The goal of the report is to educate people about birth trauma so that the causes and impacts can be more openly addressed using evidence-based approaches, said Melanie Beagley, a Gardner senior health research analyst and the lead author. She told Deseret News the hope is women who are struggling will speak up — and find support not just from health care providers, but also from friends, family and colleagues.What is birth trauma?Beagley describes birth trauma as what happens "when unexpected childbirth experiences cause really traumatizing physical or emotional pain, resulting in lasting distress regardless of clinical outcome."The two needed components are the distressing or overwhelming experience and some lasting kind of psychological impact. Birth trauma, according to the department's website, "can cause post-traumatic stress disorder, intense anxiety or depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. It can affect anyone — you, your partner or other family and friends who may have been with you during the birth."National estimates say between 9% and 44% of moms report experiencing trauma related to their childbirth.A miscarriage, unexpected Cesarean delivery, medical complications, death of the baby or very difficult delivery are birth traumas that are pretty easy to recognize and name. But communication breakdowns with the care team, separation from the newborn and simply feeling like nothing was in your control or the care provider didn't listen to you are also examples of birth trauma. A recent report says care providers who don't listen to their patients are a contributor to birth trauma. The range of things that can happen to create a negative experience can vary, and so does the time period, which isn't just while giving birth itself but encompasses the prenatal and some of the postnatal period.T
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