Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Fear of Childbirth Among Pregnant Women Planned for Normal Birth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing February 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/wvn.70101 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Pregnant women planned for normal delivery |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness-based interventions reduced fear of childbirth immediately post-intervention and up to six weeks postpartum, lowered labour pain intensity, reduced caesarean section rates, and shortened labour duration, with no significant effect on pain catastrophising or epidural use. The authors rate the certainty of evidence as very low to moderate and suggest these interventions may be useful in obstetric practice. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT:
Background: Fear of childbirth is common among pregnant women. Mindfulness‐based interventions have been used widely in obstetrics. However, the evidence of the effects on fear of childbirth is controversial.
Aims: To evaluate the effects of mindfulness‐based interventions on fear of childbirth, pain catastrophising, labour pain intensity, use of pain relief medication, mode of delivery and duration of labour among pregnant women planned for normal delivery.
Methods: In this systematic review, 10 databases were searched from inception to 7 November 2024. Randomized controlled trials implementing mindfulness‐based interventions for fear of childbirth or related outcomes were included. Two reviewers assessed the methodological quality and certainty of evidence independently. Standardized mean difference (SMD), risk ratio (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to evaluate effect sizes.
Results: A total of 16 studies from 15 trials were included. Based on very low to moderate certainty of evidence, mindfulness‐based interventions were effective in decreasing fear of childbirth both immediately post‐intervention and within 6‐week postpartum (SMD: −0.72; 95% CI −0.89, −0.55; SMD: −0.63; 95% CI −0.91, −0.35, respectively), labour pain intensity (SMD: −1.22; 95% CI −2.07, −0.37), caesarean section rate (RR: 0.58; 95% CI 0.36, 0.93), and total duration of labour (SMD: −1.03; 95% CI −1.34, −0.72), and improving mindfulness level both immediately post‐intervention and within six‐week postpartum (SMD: 0.48; 95% CI 0.31, 0.66; SMD: 0.50; 95% CI 0.27, 0.73, respectively), but had no significant effect on pain catastrophising (SMD: −0.36; 95% CI −0.72, 0.01) and epidural analgesia use rate (RR: 0.77; 95% CI 0.57, 1.03). Linking Evidence to Action: Mindfulness‐based interventions have potential effects on reducing fear of childbirth and promoting labour‐related outcomes. These interventions might be an effective approach in obstetrics clinical practice to enhance the pregnancy and labour experiences among pregnant women.
Trial Registration: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024610793
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Effectiveness of mindfulness training on pregnancy stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in women in China: A multicenter randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology March 2, 2023
- Effects of an integrated childbirth education program to reduce fear of childbirth, anxiety, and depression, and improve dispositional mindfulness: A single-blind randomised controlled trial. Midwifery July 1, 2022
- Feasibility and Acceptability of an Abbreviated, Four-Week Mindfulness Program for Chronic Pain Management. Pain Medicine September 8, 2020
- Mechanisms of Mindfulness Training: Monitor and Acceptance Theory (MAT) Clinical Psychology Review November 5, 2016