Fluctuations in state anxiety over the course of pregnancy and the relationship to outcome

State anxiety was assessed in primiparous women at three stages of pregnancy and following childbirth. The sample was divided according to whether or not a complication of pregnancy occurred. Women developing a complication displayed significantly higher levels of state anxiety at each assessment point. Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between psychosocial parameters and biomedical outcome. No significant association emerged between prenatal assessments of anxiety and outcome measures. State anxiety assessed at 16 weeks was related to anxiety at delivery. The implications of these findings for study design are discussed.