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A study on the effects of unplanned pregnancies on mothers
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
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A study from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) used a new approach to analyse the physical and mental consequences of unplanned pregnancies for mothers, taking into account data obtained before the child was born.
Anna Barbuscia's study found that women's overall health declines after childbirth were greater in cases where the pregnancy was unplanned. This study made a significant contribution to the scientific literature because it took an unusual approach. By analyzing data before and after childbirth, it produced more convincing results than other retrospective studies.
Although the number of unintended pregnancies has decreased in recent decades, today their share is estimated to be no more than 23% worldwide. In countries with high contraceptive use, the figures are similar. This is confirmed by the UPV/EHU study, which analysed data from more than 11,500 French mothers, of whom 20% reported an unintended pregnancy. However, in addition to identifying this percentage, Ikerbaske researcher Anna Barbuscia set out to analyse the physical and mental consequences of unintended pregnancies for women. "The results show that although all mothers experience a deterioration in health after childbirth, this deterioration is much more pronounced in cases where there was no intention to have children."
The study also found that among mothers with unintended pregnancies, the health impact varied by age. The results showed that in the first two years after giving birth, women under 30 experienced a sharper decline in health than older women.
"Our explanation is that unexpected pregnancies may be more destabilising for young women, as their emotional and work situations are usually less stable: some of them are studying, some do not have a stable job, etc. However, in the long term, their better initial health allows them to recover more easily than those who become mothers after 30 years of age," explained Barbuscia, a member of the OPIK research group at UPV/EHU.
On the other hand, within unplanned pregnancies, the study differentiates between unwanted pregnancies and pregnancies that occur earlier than expected. As Barbuscia explains, “Not wanting to have children or to have another child is not the same as planning a future pregnancy and having one earlier than expected.” In her paper, she analyzed both types of pregnancies separately and found that unwanted pregnancies further increased the negative impact on maternal well-being.
Finally, it is worth noting that all of the above data relate to general health, covering both physical and psychological aspects. However, the study also looked at the specific impact on mental health and found unexpected data: "Contrary to our hypothesis, we found that the risk of depressive symptoms after childbirth is not higher in women with unplanned pregnancies. Before childbirth, they are more susceptible to psychological effects, but after childbirth, the level of symptoms is not higher than in mothers whose pregnancies were planned," Barbuscia explained.
The Longitudinal Method is the Key to Convincing Results
Although there were many studies already examining the consequences of unintended pregnancies, the UPV/EHU study made a significant contribution. The findings were more convincing because the analysis was longitudinal. In other words, data were collected and examined over time, not just after the fact, as has traditionally been done.
"The fact that the women in our study answered questions about their health and their intentions to become pregnant before and after giving birth makes the results more realistic. Asking only after birth increases the risk that mothers will reconsider their original plans," Barbuscia said.
The researcher also stressed that the longitudinal design allowed us to determine whether the deterioration in maternal health was caused by the fact that the pregnancy was planned or unplanned, excluding the influence of other socioeconomic factors: "Previous studies did not have the opportunity to find out whether marital or work status changed before and after childbirth. Therefore, changes in health status could not be taken into account," she concluded.
The study was published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.