Maternal Mental Health following Ultrasonographic Detection of Fetal Structural Anomaly in the Midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nur Rowaidah Roslan, Mohd Fadhli Mohd Fauzi, Lim Wan Teng and Abdul Ghani Nur Azurah
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Nur Rowaidah Roslan: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
Mohd Fadhli Mohd Fauzi: Cheras District Health Office, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
Lim Wan Teng: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Jalan Langat, Klang 41200, Malaysia
Abdul Ghani Nur Azurah: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-12

Abstract: Prenatal ultrasonographic detection of fetal structural anomaly may adversely affect maternal mental health throughout pregnancy, particularly in the current COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to prospectively assess maternal stress, anxiety, and depression following ultrasonographic detection of fetal structural anomaly from diagnosis until delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 141 pregnant women at a tertiary hospital who underwent detailed scans between 16 and 24 gestational weeks were included and categorized into the study (anomaly finding, n = 65) and comparison (normal finding, n = 76) groups. Self-administered questionnaires of 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to assess maternal stress, anxiety, and depression at prior detection (T 1 ), two-to-four weeks post-detection (T 2 ), one-to-two weeks prior to delivery (T 3 ), and one-to-two weeks post-delivery (T 4 ). Repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to assess time-, between-group, and time–group interaction effect. In general, maternal stress improved, but anxiety worsened, while depression persisted, over the time from T 1 to T 4 . The average maternal stress and anxiety levels were significantly higher among groups with fetal anomaly. The maternal stress and anxiety level were significantly affected within one-to-two weeks post-detection of fetal structural anomaly. In conclusion, maternal mental health parameters were affected differently during the COVID-19 pandemic, with higher vulnerability of stress and anxiety among pregnant women with fetal structural anomaly particularly within one-to-two weeks post-detection.

Keywords: stress; anxiety; depression; mental health; fetal structural anomaly; COVID-19; pandemic; ultrasound; Malaysia; repeated measures ANOVA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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