%A Dekel,Sharon %A Stuebe,Caren %A Dishy,Gabriella %D 2017 %J Frontiers in Psychology %C %F %G English %K PTSD,Childbirth,review,Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,Delivery, Obstetric,Psychopathology,review of literature %Q %R 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00560 %W %L %M %P %7 %8 2017-April-11 %9 Review %+ Dr Sharon Dekel,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School,Boston, MA, USA,sdekel@mgh.harvard.edu %+ Dr Sharon Dekel,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital,Charlestown, MA, USA,sdekel@mgh.harvard.edu %# %! PTSD and childbirth %* %< %T Childbirth Induced Posttraumatic Stress Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Prevalence and Risk Factors %U https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00560 %V 8 %0 JOURNAL ARTICLE %@ 1664-1078 %X Background: Posttraumatic stress related with the childbirth experience of full-term delivery with health outcomes has been recently documented in a growing body of studies. The magnitude of this condition and the factors that might put a woman at risk for developing childbirth-related postpartum posttraumatic stress disorder (PP-PTSD) symptoms are not fully understood.Methods: In this systematic review of 36 articles representing quantitative studies of primarily community samples, we set to examine PP-PTSD prevalence rates and associated predictors with a focus on the role of prior PTSD and time since childbirth.Results: A significant minority of women endorsed PP-PTSD following successful birth. Acute PP-PTSD rates were between 4.6 and 6.3%, and endorsement of clinically significant PP-PTSD symptoms was identified in up to 16.8% of women in community samples of high quality studies. Negative subjective experience of childbirth emerged as the most important predictor. Endorsement of PTSD before childbirth contributed to PP-PTSD; nevertheless, women without PTSD also exhibited PP-PTSD, with acute rates at 4.6%, signifying a new PTSD onset in the postpartum period.Conclusion: Although the majority of women cope well, childbirth for some can be perceived as a highly stressful experience and even result in the development of PP-PTSD symptoms. More research is needed to understand postpartum adaption and childbirth-related posttraumatic stress outcomes.