Childhood trauma makes childbirth more difficult

These include preeclampsia and heavy bleeding during childbirth. Women also need emergency caesarean sections and antibiotic treatment more often.

The study surveyed 1,253 women. They answered three questionnaires during early pregnancy and then in a follow-up one year after giving birth. The questions were about childhood trauma, birth method and birth complications. These included physical and emotional trauma, family dysfunction and physical and emotional neglect.

Those who had experienced more than four traumas generally had the most complications, and compared to women without childhood trauma, the difference was significant.