The issue of managing a safe and healthy pregnancy that does not negatively affect the mother and the future child is not lost on the mother. Now, the question of how coronavirus will affect her health and the baby has come up for many mothers. I was interested in this topic because the health of women and future children is essential for our future, as they will continue the nation.
COVID stress is the spectrum of stressful conditions that are caused by pandemic conditions or seen with COVID-19 disease. For mothers of any age, minor stress and anxiety are usually regular occurrences. The increased stress during a pandemic is due to the need to stay home, that is, to have less chance of seeking medical care for pregnancy (Omowale et al., 2021). A significant increase in stress has been found in the European country (Boekhorst et al., 2021) and the United States (Omowale et al., 2021). The short-term effects of COVID stress are manifested by hyper-paired newborns, even when healthy, and continued feelings of loneliness. Boekhorst et al. (2021) found no evidence of increased depressive disorders in mothers during the pandemic. At the same time, Omowale et al. (2021) argue that long-term effects are to be expected as the pandemic continues. The lack of public health policies and rapid response may lead to permanent stress during pregnancy, despite the overall safety. Anxiety will adversely affect the baby and the mother, leading to psychosomatic illnesses.
The proposed topic of COVID-19 stress among pregnant women is relevant. Short-term consequences are generally studied: slight anxiety, continued feelings of loneliness, and reduced stress tolerance. For long-term effects the question remains open, and monitoring of the behavior of women with pregnancy during the pandemic is required. Researchers are concerned that the feeling of stress will continue for a long time, and subsequent pregnancies will be more difficult.
References
Boekhorst, M., Muskens, L., Hulsbosch, L. P., Van Deun, K., Bergink, V., Pop, V., & van den Heuvel, M. I. (2021). The COVID-19 outbreak increases maternal stress during pregnancy, but not the risk for postpartum depression. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 24(6), 1037–1043.
Omowale, S., Casas, A., Lai, Y., Sanders, S., Hill, A., Wallace, M., Rathbun, S., Gary-Webb, T., Burke, L., Davis, E., & Mendez, D. (2021). Trends in stress throughout pregnancy and postpartum period during the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal study using ecological momentary assessment and data from the postpartum mothers mobile study. JMIR Mental Health, 8(9).