The Portuguese Version of the Placental Paradigm Questionnaire at the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

The purpose of this article is to present the adaptation and factorial validation of the Placental Paradigm Questionnaire (PPQ) for the Portuguese population. Method: The original PPQ was translated into Portuguese (designated as ‘Questionário do Paradigma Placentário’, QPP) and then back-translated into English; the Portuguese and the back-translated versions were evaluated by a panel of experts. The participants were 189 pregnant Portuguese women, interviewed twice while waiting for sonogram examinations. At first, between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation, an Informed Consent was obtained as well as sociodemographic information. Between 28 and 36 weeks of gestation, participants answered the QPP. Results: The principal components analysis showed items to load mainly on two factors: in factor one, loads ranged between .778 and .522, while in factor 2, loads ranged between .658 and .421. Accordingly, two subscales of prenatal maternal orientation to motherhood were considered: (1) Facilitator Factor (α = .815) and Regulator Factor (α = .770). Conclusion: Overall, these data suggest that the Portuguese version of the QPP is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of prenatal orientation for motherhood. In the future, QPP measurements will allow to relate maternal orientation to motherhood with other variables of psychic organisation in pregnancy and after birth.

O Contributo dos Fatores Psicológicos na Ocorrência do Parto Pré-termo

Some psychological variables of women seem to be in close relationship with the clinical course of pregnancy and delivery outcome. However, about risk factors for preterm birth, it is necessary to deepen the knowledge of the psychological risk area to enable more effective prevention. Aim: To relate the result of delivery, with regard to gestational age, mode of delivery and infant characteristics with psychological variables assessed during pregnancy, prenatal maternal attachment, psychopathological symptomatology and coping. Methodology: A prospective, descriptive correlational study; participants were 395 women at the second trimester of pregnancy and at postpartum, who attended antenatal clinics at the center of Portugal. The following instruments were used: Clinical Questionnaire about the Result of Delivery; Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire in Pregnancy; Maternal Antenatal Attachment Scale; Brief Symptoms Inventory (BSI); Problems’ Resolution Inventory (PRI). Results: Gestational age and birth weight of the baby, on one side, and variables of prenatal attachment, BSI and PRI, on the other side, did not correlate significantly. The quality of prenatal maternal attachment was higher in women who came to have a delivery by forceps or vacuum extraction, compared with those that had caesarean birth (p = .05). The majority of women had a healthy pregnancy (75.7%). Coping strategies like Interpersonal Sensitivity and Help-seeking seem to influence the occurrence of obstetrical pathology. Women with higher scores on Total Prenatal Attachment and Intensity of Preocupation are more likely to have newborns with health problems. There is an association between clinical variables, the newborn´s health at birth and obstetric pathology of the II and III trimesters. Conclusion: Prenatal psychological factors such as prenatal attachment do not seem to influence the obstetric condition or the result of delivery but appear to play an important role about how pregnant women experience pregnancy and labor.