By taking data prior to birth into account, a study by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) used a novel way to analyse the physical and mental effects that unintended pregnancies have on mothers
A study by Anna Barbuscia has concluded that the worsening of women’s general health following childbirth is more pronounced in cases in which the pregnancy is unplanned. The study has made a significant contribution to the scientific literature as it has approached the subject in an unusual way. By analysing pre- and post-natal data, it obtained more conclusive results than those extracted by other retrospective research.
Although the number of unplanned pregnancies has fallen in recent decades, the percentage of such pregnancies today is estimated not to exceed 23% globally. And the numbers are similar in countries where contraceptive use is high. This has been demonstrated by the UPV/EHU study which, after analysing data from more than 11,500 French mothers, revealed that 20% had had an unplanned pregnancy. But beyond finding out the percentage, Ikerbasque Research Fellow Anna Barbuscia set out to analyse the physical and mental effects of unplanned pregnancies on women: “The results show that, although all mothers experience a decline in health after childbirth, the decline is much more pronounced in cases in which there had been no intention to have children.”
The research has made it possible to see that among mothers who had had unplanned pregnancies, health effects vary according to age. The results show that during the first two years after childbirth, women under 30 endure a sharper decline than older women. “Our interpretation is that unexpected pregnancies can be more destabilising for younger women because their emotional and employment situation tends to be more precarious: some are studying, some do not have steady jobs, etc. However, the long-term perspective revealed that, thanks to their better initial health, they recover more easily than those who become mothers after the age of 30,” explained Barbuscia, a member of the UPV/EHU’s OPIK research group.
On the other hand, within unplanned pregnancies, the study distinguishes between unintended pregnancies and those taking place ahead of time. As Barbuscia explained: “Not wanting to have offspring or not wanting to have more children is not the same as planning to conceive in the future and for it to happen ahead of schedule.” Her work analysed the two types of pregnancy separately and found that unwanted pregnancies increase the negative impact on mothers’ well-being.
Finally, it should be stressed that all the above data refer to general health, covering both physical and psychological aspects. However, the research also looked at the specific effects on mental health and revealed unexpected data: “Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that the risk of suffering depressive symptoms after childbirth is not higher in women with unplanned pregnancies. Befo