Stress, sleep quality and unplanned C aesarean section in pregnant women

This study examines the relationship among prenatal maternal stress, sleep quality and unplanned C aesarean delivery. For this research, we adopted a prospective survey design and a sample of 200 women in the early stages of labour. The findings were as follows: (i) 11.5% of the participants underwent unplanned C aesarean sections; (ii) based on a P ittsburg S leep Q uality I ndex split point of 5, approximately 90.5% of the participants experienced poor sleep quality; and (iii) the odds ratio for primiparas undergoing an unplanned C aesarean section was 4.183 times that for multiparas (95% confidence interval ( CI ) = 1.177 to 14.864), indicating a statistically significant difference. The results also showed that stress was a significant factor related to unplanned C aesarean sections; a 1‐point increase on the P regnancy S tress R ating S cale was associated with a 1.033‐fold higher probability of undergoing an unplanned C aesarean section (95% CI  = 1.002 to 1.065). Furthermore, prenatal stress was a significant variable that can be used to predict unplanned C aesarean deliveries.