A Mindfulness Application for Reducing Prenatal Stress.
Anne C Porter, Sharon Hunter, Kate Noonan and 1 others
PMID 35403807WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant patients who used a mindfulness app had lower perceived stress at 28 weeks than at 15 weeks and than historical controls, but only 12 of 59 consented patients finished follow-up.
Key findings
01App users had significantly lower perceived stress at 28 weeks than historical controls and than their own 15-week scores.
02Only 12 of 59 consented patients used the app and finished follow-up surveys.
03Gestational age at birth and birthweight were similar between app users and historical controls.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was a small pilot with only 12 app users completing follow-up surveys. There was no randomized control group; app users were compared with a historical control cohort that was not given the same choice to use the app. App users may have been more motivated to reduce stress than patients who did not use the app. Adherence was limited: only 21 of 59 consented patients completed at least one meditation, and reasons for nonadherence were not assessed. App users differed from non-app users on some characteristics, including lower gravidity, parity, and prepregnancy body mass index. The historical control cohort differed from app users, being younger and having higher mean gravidity and parity. Stress level before enrollment was not evaluated, and no objective stress measures were collected. The study did not assess postpartum or neonatal follow-up outcomes.
Declared interests
Expectful provided free use of its mobile application for the study. The authors declared no other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that mindfulness apps reliably reduce prenatal stress or improve birth outcomes. The stress reduction was found in a small self-selected group, with only 12 of 59 consented patients completing follow-up, and gestational age and birthweight were similar to controls.