PhD student: Clara Rollet
Title: Vaginal delivery pains with perimedullary analgesia and postpartum depression
Supervisors: Anne Chantry, Marie-Pierre Bonnet
Doctoral school: École doctorale Pierre Louis de Santé Publique – ED 393. Université Paris-Cité
Promotion: 2023-2026
Funding: APHP
Thesis abstract:
Context: France is characterized by an extensive use of perimedullary analgesia for labor and delivery. However, in the 2021 national perinatal survey, more than a third of women delivering vaginally reported experiencing severe pain at expulsion (i.e., scored ≥ 7 on a simple numerical scale). Studies suggest that this acute pain may be involved in risk of postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a major public health issue, affecting 17% of women in France, and has been shown to have a negative impact on the mother and child.
Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the incidence and risk factors of acute vaginal delivery pain in French population, and to evaluate its association with residual pain at 2 months and with the risk of developing postpartum depression.
Methods: Data from the 2021 national perinatal survey will be used. A prospective population-based national survey that includes all women giving birth in France during one week in March 2021. The association between vaginal delivery pain and postpartum depression, as well as the role of residual pain at 2 months in this relationship will be analyzed by multivariate analysis adjusted for identified confounders.
