Martial law in Ukraine as a risk factor for gestational disorders
The war in Ukraine brings new challenges to primary care and mental health services all over Europe. Although for most European citizens, the date of the war outburst is February 24, 2022, the war in Ukraine, with all the consequences for the civil population, including pregnant and postpartum women...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Zaslavsky O.Yu.
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Mìžnarodnij Endokrinologìčnij Žurnal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://iej.zaslavsky.com.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/1523 |
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| Summary: | The war in Ukraine brings new challenges to primary care and mental health services all over Europe. Although for most European citizens, the date of the war outburst is February 24, 2022, the war in Ukraine, with all the consequences for the civil population, including pregnant and postpartum women, started in 2014. A study conducted in 2016 demonstrated that 34.8 % of pregnant women displaced internally had post-traumatic stress disorder. Another study showed an increased risk of reactive and personal anxiety, depressive manifestations, autonomic dysfunction, insomnia, and the risk of premature termination of pregnancy among war-affected population. Pregnant women who have been forced to relocate within their own country report increased levels of reactive (by 3.3 times) and personal (by 2.6 times) anxiety compared to pregnant women who were not internally displaced. However, to date, there are no publications on changes in pregnant women and mothers of newborn children during the full-scale war in Ukraine. Stress can be the most toxic influence related to health and disease and may be associated with instrumental deliveries, medical and psychiatric diseases. It is recognized that stress during pregnancy has lifelong detrimental consequences in offspring. The intrauterine period of life may be a time of major susceptibility for developing embryos and fetuses. Future studies should investigate potential associations between maternal stress during pregnancy and development of both psychiatric and medical diseases. Stress should be carefully operationalized and include the protective role of resilience. In light of relevant evidence, it is recommended for pregnant women to be asked how stressed they are feeling at every antenatal appointment, as well as about their coping strategies. Assessing the levels of stress in pregnant women may contribute to the implementation of tailored interventions aimed at reducing it. Further needs to be done on this topic to help pregnant women and improve the health of the following generation. |
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| ISSN: | 2224-0721 2307-1427 |