Mothers’ subjective retrospective view of previous pregnancies and risk classification in the German maternity record ( Mutterpass ): a nationwide survey from the FeMaR study
Charlotte K. Metz, Barbara Tabernig, Julia Sommer, Ingrid Sonnabend, Eva Jansen, Stephanie Roll, Louisa Sommer, Jon Barrenetxea, Elias Grünewald, Felix Balzer, Christiana Ernst, Florian Recker, Elisabeth von Tucher, Silke WegenerAbstract
Objectives
High-risk pregnancy classification is associated with intensified antenatal surveillance, increased use of hospital-based services, and substantial healthcare costs. Classification may influence women’s subjective perceptions of pregnancy and its care.
Methods
This study assessed women’s retrospective perspectives on their subjective risk classification, antenatal care, complications, and perceptions of risk in Germany using a nationwide online cross-sectional survey. Participants were grouped according to their self-reported high- or low-risk pregnancy classification. Data were based on subjective retrospective reports of pregnancies occurring ≤1 to ≥30 years ago.
Results
A total of 2012 women participated (mean age 33.4 ± 4.6 years). Approximately half reported having had high-risk pregnancy, most commonly due to a maternal age ≥35 years. Among women who reported having been classified as high-risk, 54.4 % considered the classification appropriate, of whom 81.8 % also assessed their antenatal care as adequate. The perceived appropriateness of the risk classification corresponded with how women evaluated the adequacy of their antenatal care. Self-reported pregnancy- and birth complications were comparable between high-risk and low-risk groups, with fetal distress as the most frequently reported complication in both groups.
Conclusions
Based on retrospective self-reported data, women’s perceptions of pregnancy risk classification were associated with their assessment of antenatal care. The findings highlight the importance of transparent, patient-centered communication regarding pregnancy risk classification and provide exploratory insights that may inform the future development of more individualized risk assessment approaches incorporating women’s perspectives.