A significant proportion of unborn children are exposed to high maternal stress during pregnancy, which may lead to neurodevelopmental difficulties in the child both in the short and long terms. To mitigate prenatal stress, various strategies can be employed, including obtaining information from professionals during prenatal education. However, a large proportion of pregnant women neglect to adopt stress management strategies due to a lack of knowledge about the repercussions for the child. Therefore, this study aims to explore future parents' knowledge regarding the effects of prenatal stress on the child. Individual interviews, approximately 45 minutes each, were conducted with 10 pregnant women and 7 future partners in a region in Québec (Canada). Thematic analysis using NVivo was employed, revealing several key findings. While all participants suspected that prenatal stress likely had effects, none were able to identify them or explain the mechanisms. Several partners were aware that their own stress could increase the stress of the pregnant woman and speculated that it could indirectly affect the unborn child. Moreover, several pregnant women reported feeling guilty and trapped in a vicious cycle (awareness of stress causes more stress). The importance of providing accurate information that engages both partners while avoiding blame will be discussed. These findings provide guidance to professionals responsible for prenatal education on the information they should provide.

Authors:
Julie Poissant, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada
Yasmine Benard, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Poissant is currently a professor in education and psychologie at the Université du Québec à Montréal (Québec, Canada).

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