Clinical assessment of pregnant women's psychosocial conditions, prematurity and birth weight

OBJECTIVE: To seek a relation between pregnant women's psychosocial condition, assessed clinically in general practice, and prematurity and birth weight of the child. DESIGN: Clinical assessment early and late in pregnancy of psychosocial condition based on all accessible information, which included an extended history on psychosocial condition supplemented by background information about the woman and her social network and clinical observations. SETTING: Antenatal care in a general practice. RESULTS: The women assessed as having psychosocial difficulties were younger, had less education, and gained less weight in pregnancy. Birth weight was related to parity, body mass index before pregnancy, and total weight gain in pregnancy. A relationship was found between difficult psychosocial conditions and prematurity and low birth weight of the child. If the assessment of psychosocial condition had been based on the women's verbal descriptions of their problems alone, no relationship would have been found between psychosocial difficulties and prematurity and birth weight of the child. CONCLUSION: A clinical assessment of a woman's psychosocial condition, in which all accessible information is used, and an emphasis on emotional and social support for women when needed, may be necessary for improvement of antenatal care.