Women's health in early pregnancy: Findings from an australian nulliparous cohort study

Abstract

Background: Much is known about severe maternal morbidity during pregnancy, but there has been little attention paid to the impact of pregnancy itself on women's general health and well-being. Aim: To investigate women's general health and well-being in early pregnancy and examine the relationship between maternal age and women's physical and mental health. Method: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from a multicentre, prospective nulliparous pregnancy cohort study. The baseline questionnaire included the SF-36 health status measure and individual items assessing a range of common maternal health issues. Results: A total of 1507 eligible women returned baseline questionnaires in early..