Childbirth fear lengthens labour time
29th June 2012
By Kate Newton
Women who are terrified of childbirth are only prolonging their own agony, a study suggests.
Norwegian researchers found women who feared childbirth spent longer in labour — an extra 47 minutes on average, compared with less-anxious women.
They were also more likely to need obstetric interventions, such as an epidural, induction and use of forceps, the study found.
The researchers used a validated questionnaire to measure fear of childbirth