The fear of giving birth, on the rise
by wiki.HEALTH.pedia
Some people are afraid of snakes and spiders, others heights, but a growing number of women are becoming phobic about the very notion of giving birth.
Tocophobia (also spelled tokophobia) is derived from the Greek "tocos" (childbirth) and "phobos" (fear), reports ABC News .
There are no statistics available in the United States, but British reports have shown that as many as 1 in 6 women have extraordinary anxiety, and the number may be growing.
At its worst, tocophobia can be so profound that some women, even those who yearn for children, choose not to get pregnant.
A study of 26 women published in the 2000 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry said phobic avoidance of pregnancy is a "harrowing condition" that may date from adolescence or be secondary to a traumatic delivery.
It can also be a symptom of prenatal depression. Researchers emphasized the need for doctors to acknowledge the condition.
Some people are afraid of snakes and spiders, others heights, but a growing number of women are becoming phobic about the very notion of giving birth.
Tocophobia (also spelled tokophobia) is derived from the Greek "tocos" (childbirth) and "phobos" (fear), reports ABC News .
There are no statistics available in the United States, but British reports have shown that as many as 1 in 6 women have extraordinary anxiety, and the number may be growing.
At its worst, tocophobia can be so profound that some women, even those who yearn for children, choose not to get pregnant.
A study of 26 women published in the 2000 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry said phobic avoidance of pregnancy is a "harrowing condition" that may date from adolescence or be secondary to a traumatic delivery.
It can also be a symptom of prenatal depression. Researchers emphasized the need for doctors to acknowledge the condition.
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