TY - JOUR
T1 - What are antenatal maternity care needs of women who conceived through fertility treatment?
T2 - a mixed methods systematic review
AU - Warmelink, J. Catja
AU - Marissink, Lisa
AU - Kroes, Linda
AU - Ranjbar, Fahimeh
AU - Henrichs, Jens
N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by Midwifery Academy Amsterdam Groningen. We thank Dr. Jeroen Visser and Liesbeth Kool (lecturers of the Midwifery Academy Groningen), Emily Tros and Marrit Boekhout (midwives) for their earlier contribution to this project. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2023/12/1
Y1 - 2023/12/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Existing research indicates that pregnant women who conceived through fertility treatment might experience more stress and anxiety compared to women who conceived spontaneously. Therefore, these women might have additional antenatal care needs. METHODS: A search for both quantitative and qualitative studies was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and MEDLINE through May 2021, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. After methodological quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraising Tool, 15 studies were included in the review. RESULTS: Analysis of the studies identified behavioral, relational/social, emotional, and cognitive needs and women's preference about maternity care. Women who conceived through fertility treatment reported lower social and physical functioning scores and elevated levels of anxiety and depression compared to women who conceived spontaneously. They reported difficulties adjusting to pregnancy and experienced a care gap between discharge from the fertility clinic and going to local maternity care services for their first consultation, and a care gap postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: Women who conceived through fertility treatment have additional antenatal care needs. We recommend to offer these women more frequent check-ins, and to pay attention to the impact of their infertility and treatment on their pregnancy.
AB - BACKGROUND: Existing research indicates that pregnant women who conceived through fertility treatment might experience more stress and anxiety compared to women who conceived spontaneously. Therefore, these women might have additional antenatal care needs. METHODS: A search for both quantitative and qualitative studies was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and MEDLINE through May 2021, guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. 21 articles met the inclusion criteria. After methodological quality appraisal using the Mixed Methods Appraising Tool, 15 studies were included in the review. RESULTS: Analysis of the studies identified behavioral, relational/social, emotional, and cognitive needs and women's preference about maternity care. Women who conceived through fertility treatment reported lower social and physical functioning scores and elevated levels of anxiety and depression compared to women who conceived spontaneously. They reported difficulties adjusting to pregnancy and experienced a care gap between discharge from the fertility clinic and going to local maternity care services for their first consultation, and a care gap postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: Women who conceived through fertility treatment have additional antenatal care needs. We recommend to offer these women more frequent check-ins, and to pay attention to the impact of their infertility and treatment on their pregnancy.
KW - Assisted reproductive techniques
KW - in vitro fertilization
KW - needs assessment
KW - pregnancy
KW - prenatal care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85143993966&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2022.2148099
DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/0167482X.2022.2148099
M3 - Review article
C2 - 36508566
SN - 0167-482X
VL - 44
SP - 2148099
JO - Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology
JF - Journal of psychosomatic obstetrics and gynaecology
IS - 1
M1 - 2148099
ER -