The focus of this book involves a new and emerging area, the field of perinatal or birth-related trauma which is relatively unrecognised. It is quite recent that acknowledgement has been given to the possibility that Birth can be a traumatic experience even when the life/health of the mother and infant are not significantly threatened. The editors and an interdisciplinary group of researchers from maternity care and from the field of child psychology explore connections between birth experiences and family relationships and infant and early childhood development and the emerging field of Intergenerational transmission of trauma. This work will help undergraduates as well as experienced clinicians and allied health care professionals in contact with childbearing and perinatal women and their families to provide them the best care.
Birth trauma affects mothers, fathers and children. The impact of a negative or traumatic birth experience can last for years and even a lifetime. Evidence suggests up to 20% of women describe some aspect of their birth as negative or even traumatic. However, others will go on to experience symptoms of intrusion, avoidance or hyper-arousal. Meta-analyses show post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 4% of women after birth and up to 18% of women in high risk groups. Rectification of this situation is essential. In 2016, 5.11 million babies were born in Europe, indicating that up to 1.5 million women may have had sub-optimal birth experiences and over 200,000 may have developed PTSD as a result. Developmental research has firmly established that the quality of infant-parent relationships is a critical factor in early and later childhood development, consequently, a family-centred approach to any investigation of birth-related trauma is critical, as trauma can be transmitted within the family system. Given the enormous economic burden it places on women, health systems, and particularly children, relatively small improvements in services to prevent, detect and treat this problem can benefit society significantly. By presenting new and unique insights healthcare professionals will be exposed to emerging research focussed on impacting clinical practice and social policy responses. Contributors to the book utilise case studies / service user perspectives where possible in order to highlight recent developments which in the past has seen women pathologized or symptoms of distress medicalised eg., women's experiences of concealed pregnancy or domestic violence in the perinatal period.
This book will be of interest to any maternity care novice (undergraduates) or experienced professionals - midwives, psychologists, obstetricians, neonatologists, those in support roles such as bereavement care, social work and counselling but also those working in the field of parenting and attachment to further explore the issue of transmission of stress and trauma in-utero and during the first year of life.
About the Author: Joan Lalor is a Professor in Midwifery in Trinity College Dublin. Joan was awarded a BNS (Hons), MSc, MA, PGDip in Clinical Health Science Education (Distinction) and PG Dip in Statistics (Distinction) and a PhD from Trinity College. More recently Joan has graduated from the Honorable Society of the Kings Inns with a Barrister at Law (BL) degree (2021), and a Diploma in Legal Studies (2019) and she is currently practising in the area of Tort Law and Medical Negligence. Joan's research contribution is organised around the following main areas: i) Complex issues in Childbirth including Birth Related Trauma, ii) Optimising maternity Services to improve outcomes iii) Research Methodology, Healthcare Ethics and Law. Joan was elected as a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin (FTCD) in April 2022. Joan currently leads a pan-European network, COST Action 18211: Perinatal Mental Health and Birth-Related Trauma: Maximising Best Practice and Optimal Outcomes. Ultimately, CA18211 is working towards an ideal universal standard of care to prevent and minimise birth trauma and optimise positive birth experiences. Joan's research across maternity care and law is focused on informing practice to optimise birth outcomes for women, families and key stakeholders.
Dr Sylvia Murphy-Tighe is a midwife, public health nurse and Lecturer in Midwifery at the University of Limerick. She is particularly interested in vulnerability, maternal and infant health, public health and community engagement. Her doctoral research was funded by the Health Research Board Research (Research Training Fellowship, 2013-2016) and she developed a grounded typology of concealed pregnancy as part of a re-conceptulisation of this sensitive phenomenon. She has brought The Spaces Between Us Visual Art Exhibition to Ireland from Australia in order to raise public awareness of concealed pregnancy, the tragic outcomes that can ensue and in order to develop sensitive policy responses for women and their families. Sylvia has been involved in community projects eg., the development of CWELL programme for a socioeconomically disadvantaged community in Limerick to gain access to a third level qualification (Community Wellbeing & Lifestyle). Sylvia is a co- investigator on the PART-IM project which is a participatory and arts-based approach for involving migrants in health research at UL and also leading an evaluation of training for public health nurses identifying and responding to domestic violence. She has several ISI publications and is a member of the Health Research Institute at UL. She is a member of the International Marce Society and the Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology.
