Question

Describe how patient's risk factors affect them and their families and how the factors can be managed during the patients’ prenatal care.

Answer 1

Pregnancies complicated by psychosocial risk factors have been significantly associated with an increased risk of adverse birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight (LBW). In particular, psychosocial stress, often preceded by a lack of social support, poor self-esteem or poor coping ability, has been correlated with maladaptive health behaviors and is more prevalent among women who deliver preterm or LBW infants.

Psychosocial risk factors such as stress, lack of social support and intimate partner violence (IPV) have been successfully reduced in pilot interventions providing intensive, risk-appropriate prenatal care services