WA leads the way in supporting happy healthy families

An Australian-first research study investigating how to identify women who experience childbirth trauma has commenced at King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH), to support enhanced outcomes for mothers and newborns.

Over the next three years, all women who birth at KEMH will be invited to participate in the Australian Childbirth-related Trauma Screening Study (ACTS), with the aim to identify valid and reliable screening of childbirth trauma that is capable of integration into routine maternity care.

KEMH will provide new mums the opportunity to be screened at their routine follow up appointment, either in the hospital or at the patient’s home.

KEMH Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at Murdoch University, Kelli MacMillan, who leads the research project, said the earlier women experiencing childbirth-related trauma are identified, the earlier they can be assessed for specialised treatment.

“We know childbirth trauma can have lasting impacts on mothers, babies, and families," she said.

"This study is an important step towards ensuring women can access timely care when they need it most. “Our goal is to make trauma screening a routine part of maternity care, so that support can be provided early and outcomes improved for families across Australia.”

While not all traumatic births result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) it is recognised that traumatic birth experience can still impact mental health, and potentially subsequent pregnancies. Risk factors for birth trauma also include a mother’s own childhood trauma, and women who experience birth trauma are more likely to have a newborn in a neonatal intensive care unit post birth.

This WA research project is led by Murdoch University at KEMH, with funding provided by the Women and Infants Research Foundation and support from The University of Western Australia, Curtin University and the Statewide Perinatal and Infant Mental Health program.

The ACTS study is the fourth stage of a research program that found prior pregnancy loss was a defining clinical characteristic of women at risk of experiencing a traumatic birth. Initial research found that despite effective antenatal and postpartum treatments existing, women who need treatment for childbirth trauma are not consistently identified, leading to ACTS.