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Social support in pregnancy: The 'soft' way to increase birthweight?

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  • Oakley, Ann

Abstract

This paper examines the thesis that social support in pregnancy is capable of affecting birthweight as one easily measurable aspect of pregnancy outcome. The focus of the paper is on birthweight, since low birthweight is a relatively stable and important factor in social inequalities in perinatal health. The paper reviews the published literature on social support in pregnancy including simple observational and nonrandomized intervention studies and also randomized controlled trials of 'social' interventions. The methodological problems associated with some of these studies are discussed. However, it is concluded that there is considerable evidence to suggest that intervention programmes aimed at improving the 'social' side of antenatal care are capable of affecting birthweight and other 'hard' measures of pregnancy outcome. It is suggested that traditional professional approaches to pregnancy which divide the medical from the social perspective, have acted to prevent recognition of this evidence and its relevance to maternity care policy.

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  • Oakley, Ann, 1985. "Social support in pregnancy: The 'soft' way to increase birthweight?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 21(11), pages 1259-1268, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:21:y:1985:i:11:p:1259-1268
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    Cited by:

    1. Lynn Clark Callister, 1995. "Beliefs and Perceptions of Childbearing Women Choosing Different Primary Health Care Providers," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 4(2), pages 168-180, May.
    2. Marcia A. Coster-Schulz & Marlene C. Mackey, 1998. "The Preterm Labor Experience," Clinical Nursing Research, , vol. 7(4), pages 335-359, November.
    3. Bollini, Paola & Pampallona, Sandro & Wanner, Philippe & Kupelnick, Bruce, 2009. "Pregnancy outcome of migrant women and integration policy: A systematic review of the international literature," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(3), pages 452-461, February.

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