SynthesisBirth (Berkeley, Calif.)2025
Impact of Traumatic Childbirth and Birth-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Breastfeeding Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Longitudinal and Cohort Studies.
Synthesis in Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Risk factors for birth trauma and postpartum posttraumatic stress in the United Kingdom: Results from the international survey of childbirth-related trauma.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Antenatal intimate partner violence and breastfeeding practices: Evidence from a national longitudinal study in Ethiopia.PloS one · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundBreastfeeding is the most recommended form of infant nutrition during the first months of life. Mother's perception of childbirth as traumatic, or birth-related diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or symptoms (PTSS), may negatively affect breastfeeding outcomes, but there is not enough evidence about its influence. The aim of this study was to examine and summarize the available literature on the impact of traumatic childbirth and/or PTSD/PTSS related to childbirth on breastfeeding outcomes.
methodsFollowing PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD42023407019), a systematic review of prospective longitudinal and cohort studies was conducted, involving searches across PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycARTICLES. The PICOS model guided inclusion criteria, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) was used to assess study quality.
resultsFrom the 1471 identified records, eight studies (involving 3091 participants) met our inclusion criteria and demonstrated an overall low risk of bias, according to NOS. Results consistently revealed a negative association between traumatic childbirth and/or birth-related PTSS/PTSD and breastfeeding outcomes, including initiation, duration, self-efficacy, and exclusive breastfeeding in the baby's early months. DISCUSSION: A traumatic birth can have lasting effects on both maternal mental health and breastfeeding outcomes. LIMITATIONS: Potential omission of relevant studies despite searches across five databases and the absence of a calculated size effect, preventing the determination of the strength of the studied variables' relationship. Predominant focus on European studies questions the generalizability of the results.
conclusionMothers suffering from traumatic childbirth and/or childbirth-related PTSS or PTSD have an increased risk of poorer breastfeeding outcomes. REGISTRATION AND PROTOCOL: The systematic review protocol was registered in PROSPERO. The registration number is: CRD42023407019.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.