{"title":"Fear of Childbirth/Tokophobia: Implications for Childbirth Educators.","authors":"Betty Carlson Bowles, Marty Gibson","doi":"10.1891/JPE-2024-0001","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most women experience childbirth with a positive outlook. However, some women have perceptions of trauma, invasive exams, loss of control, and violation of privacy in childbirth, leading to disgust, aversion, and fear. Severe fear of childbirth (FOC) is called <i>tokophobia</i>, which can profoundly affect the experience and outcomes of pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering. This article will raise awareness of FOC/tokophobia by reviewing its presentation and predisposing characteristics, recognizing its impacts and outcomes, and encouraging referrals to medical/psychological caregivers for early diagnosis and treatment. It will review ways childbirth educators can support those women with this condition, give realistic expectations of childbirth, and promote a safe and secure atmosphere to allay fear and support them through this stressful experience.</p>","PeriodicalId":46449,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Perinatal Education","volume":"34 2","pages":"82-87"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12283106/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Perinatal Education","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JPE-2024-0001","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Most women experience childbirth with a positive outlook. However, some women have perceptions of trauma, invasive exams, loss of control, and violation of privacy in childbirth, leading to disgust, aversion, and fear. Severe fear of childbirth (FOC) is called tokophobia, which can profoundly affect the experience and outcomes of pregnancy, childbirth, and mothering. This article will raise awareness of FOC/tokophobia by reviewing its presentation and predisposing characteristics, recognizing its impacts and outcomes, and encouraging referrals to medical/psychological caregivers for early diagnosis and treatment. It will review ways childbirth educators can support those women with this condition, give realistic expectations of childbirth, and promote a safe and secure atmosphere to allay fear and support them through this stressful experience.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) is the leading peer-reviewed journal specifically for childbirth educators. Through evidence-based articles, the JPE advances the knowledge of aspiring and seasoned educators in any setting-independent or private practice, community, hospital, nursing or midwifery school-and informs educators and other health care professionals on research that will improve their practice and their efforts to support natural, safe, and healthy birth. The JPE also publishes features that provide practical resources and advice health care professionals can use to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their care or teaching to prepare expectant parents for birth. The journal''s content focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, breastfeeding, neonatal care, early parenting, and young family development. In addition to childbirth educators, the JPE''s readers include nurses, midwives, physicians, and other professionals involved with perinatal education and maternal-child health care.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
