Fear of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among pregnant and infertile women in Japan

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women and fertility patients are particularly vulnerable to major disease outbreaks. Regarding COVID-19 in particular, much is unclear about the impact on mothers and fetuses. The purpose of this study was to determine the fear of COVID-19 among Japanese pregnant and infertility patients amid the coronavirus disaster. METHODS: An online survey of 292 pregnant Japanese women and 13 Japanese women undergoing fertility treatment was conducted during the COVID-19 epidemic from May 19 to June 6, 2020. All participants responded to the Japanese version of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and risk factors. RESULTS: Japanese pregnant women had higher fear of COVID-19 scores than Japanese fertility patients. In addition, fear of COVID-19 among pregnant women in Japan was positively associated with stockpiling and health monitoring, and an emphasis on websites and social networking sites among pregnant women was associated with lower fear of COVID-19. LIMITATIONS: This study was a cross-sectional survey, which means that it is not possible to determine the causal relationship between fear of COVID-19 and related factors. Additionally, we were not able to research the web and social networking content that pregnant women consider most important. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women in Japan have high levels of anxiety, and websites and social networking sites may be effective in alleviating their anxiety. When communicating information, there will be a need to provide not only accurate information about preventing infectious diseases, but also information that will ease the anxiety of pregnant women.