Maternal-physiological parameters and prenatal mindfulness interventions - A scoping review.

A scoping review mapped how mindfulness affects pregnant women's physiological parameters, not just mental health. Six clinical trials were identified from 497 screened articles. Parameters examined included blood pressure, cortisol, heart rate variability, body mass index, HbA1c, and blood glucose. Mindfulness showed efficacy for blood pressure, cortisol, heart rate variability, and blood glucose, but it remains unclear whether effects are pregnancy-related or due to normal physiological changes. The review concludes that very few maternal physiological parameters have been studied in detail and that extensive research is needed.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Pregnancy is a unique experience for every woman, but it is not always easy. A good health indicator in the country is reduced maternal mortality and morbidity. How mindfulness affects maternal mental health parameters such as stress, anxiety, and depression has been well documented. However, their impact on maternal physiological parameters has not been explored much, which is the primary goal of this scoping review. Three databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Embase) were searched to identify studies involving maternal physiological parameters that have been intensively studied globally. The population included pregnant women, and the outcomes were that their physiological parameters were affected by mindfulness as an intervention. A total of 276 duplicates were deduplicated from the 777 retrieved records, 497 articles underwent screening, and six studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria were added for review. Among the maternal physiological parameters that were examined in the clinical trials were serum markers, blood pressure levels, heart rate variability, salivary cortisol levels, body mass index, HbA1c, respiratory rate, glucose tolerance test, fasting, and postprandial blood sugar profiles. This scoping review map revealed that very few maternal physiological parameters have been studied in detail. Efficacy is demonstrated via blood pressure, cortisol levels, heart rate variability, and blood glucose parameters. Nevertheless, it is difficult to determine whether the effects are pregnancy-related or are the consequence of typical physiological changes during pregnancy. Hence, extensive research is needed to explore the impact of mindfulness because a few clinical trials have been conducted.