We are aware of only one other study on fear of childbirth
and labour duration. That study reported a positive
association between fear of childbirth and labour dystocia/
protracted labour that remained after adjustment for
confounding factors.20 In that study, labour dystocia/
protracted labour, as defined by the International Classification of Diseases version 10, was a dichotomous
variable. Fear of childbirth was assessed by a single question:
‘Are you anxious about the course of the upcoming
delivery?’ Women who answered ‘Yes, a lot’ were defined
as having fear of childbirth.20 A study in Sweden found
fear of childbirth to be associated with an increased risk
of emergency caesarean delivery.16 However, neither a previous
Norwegian nor a previous British study was able to
confirm such an association.