Tocophobia - the fear of giving birth, on the rise
December 5th, 2010 - 2:53 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Dec 5 (ANI): 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. (ANI)
- Depression dogs women after miscarriage - Mar 04, 2011
- Adolescent depression, anxiety disorders are two distinct problems - Sep 24, 2009
- Depression after miscarriage can continue after healthy birth - Mar 03, 2011
- Obese girls show greater poise when happy with their shape - Apr 30, 2012
- This spider eats the snake - Mar 01, 2012
- Women war veterans prone to mental health problems during pregnancy - Dec 22, 2010
- Kids born to smoking mums 'more likely to become smokers' - Mar 22, 2011
- New mothers in Australia suffer from trauma - Jun 01, 2011
- 'Kids of 40-plus moms are smarter' - May 22, 2012
- World Snake Population Decline Could Have Serious Consequences to Ecosystems - Jun 15, 2010
- Britons pay Indians to become surrogate mothers: Report - May 27, 2012
- Huge web traffic may crash online spider phobia survey site - Sep 29, 2008
- Mood and anxiety disorders remain common in older adults - May 04, 2010
- Maternal stress key to behavioural problems in kids - Aug 09, 2009
- Why women feel anxious, depressed and irate at that 'time of the month' - Feb 15, 2011
Tags: abc news, adolescence, anxiety, british journal of psychiatry, childbirth, doctors, fear, giving birth, journal of psychiatry, notion, phobic avoidance, pregnancy, prenatal depression, snakes, spiders, statistics, tocophobia, tocos, traumatic delivery, united states