Pregnant Women Need More Emotional Support

Women need professional emotional support during high-risk pregnancies, according to a study done by Rutgers University researchers. They have found that without psychosocial support, women struggle with fears and tears while feeling isolated and worried. About 15 percent of pregnancies worldwide are high-risk, making premature delivery, low infant birth weight and other poor outcomes more likely. In the United States, 10 percent of pregnant women require hospitalization because they have hyperemesis gravidarum, pre-eclampsia, kidney infections, gestational diabetes or are at risk for imminent delivery, among other conditions. Rutgers researchers say keeping anxiety and stress to a minimum during pregnancy is important but is especially critical for high-risk pregnancies where it is believed to be a factor in premature birth.