Investigating the Causes of Fear of Childbirth in Shahrekord Pregnant Women, in 2013: A Short Report

Pregnancy is a major event in a woman's life that can bring a lot of stress for her. Fear of childbirth is a common problem for pregnant women. This fear can be a predictor of caesarean section in them. This study aimed to investigate the causes of fear of childbirth in pregnant women in Shahrekord. This descriptive-cross-sectional study was performed on 130 pregnant women referred to health centers in Shahrekord city. Fear of Childbirth Questionnaire was used to collect the data. For data analysis, it was used descriptive and analytical statistics (Pearson's correlation coefficient and t-test). The results showed that, the main cause of fear of childbirth in pregnant women was fear of painful injections during labor. The mean score for fear of delivery in multiparous women was significantly greater than the nulliparous women (p<0.001). Concerningthe increase of caesarean rates, it is important that health care providers pay more attention to the causes of this fear.