“Is it realistic?” the portrayal of pregnancy and childbirth in the media

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Research Article

Vanora Hundley¹  Catherine Angell¹  Edwin van Teijlingen¹  Ann Luce²  Marilyn Cash³  Helen Cheyne⁴ 

[1] Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK;Faculty of Media & Communication, Bournemouth University, Weymouth House W333, Talbot Campus, BH12 5BB, Poole, England, UK;Health & Wellbeing Community, Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK;NMAHP Research Unit, School of Health Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK;

关键词: Medical model;    Reality television;    Labour;    Medicalization;    Midwifery;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12884-016-0827-x

 received in 2014-11-09, accepted in 2016-02-12,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundConsiderable debate surrounds the influence media have on first-time pregnant women. Much of the academic literature discusses the influence of (reality) television, which often portrays birth as risky, dramatic and painful and there is evidence that this has a negative effect on childbirth in society, through the increasing anticipation of negative outcomes. It is suggested that women seek out such programmes to help understand what could happen during the birth because there is a cultural void. However the impact that has on normal birth has not been explored.MethodsA scoping review relating to the representation of childbirth in the mass media, particularly on television.ResultsThree key themes emerged: (a) medicalisation of childbirth; (b) women using media to learn about childbirth; and (c) birth as a missing everyday life event.ConclusionMedia appear to influence how women engage with childbirth. The dramatic television portrayal of birth may perpetuate the medicalisation of childbirth, and last, but not least, portrayals of normal birth are often missing in the popular media. Hence midwives need to engage with television producers to improve the representation of midwifery and maternity in the media.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Luce et al. 2016