New report first to outline economic impact of childbirth-related PTSD in the UK

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by City St George's, University of London

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Health care costs for women reporting childbirth-related PTSD were more than twice as high as those for women without symptoms during the period from six to 12 months after birth, according to a new report from City St George's, University of London, on the economic impact of postnatal PTSD on the NHS.

Based on the number of births reported in NHS hospitals in 2024–25 and the UK prevalence of childbirth-related PTSD, the authors calculated that early prevention of traumatic births and childbirth-related PTSD could save the NHS an estimated £26 million every year.

Launched at the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Birth Trauma event on 10 September 2026, the Counting the cost of birth trauma: the economic impact of postnatal PTSD in the UK report also found that women with PTSD were less likely to have returned to work by 12 months after giving birth, indicating potential longer-term economic and employment impacts of postnatal PTSD.

In terms of a policy response, the researchers call for the implementation of routine screening and interventions for PTSD through assessment and treatment during pregnancy and after childbirth, as well as increased access to specialist perinatal mental health support for women experiencing PTSD.

In the United Kingdom (UK), approximately 1 in 20 women develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following childbirth. Many more women describe their birthing experience as traumatic, and recent research has shown that postnatal PTSD is underdiagnosed in the UK.

The 2024 APPG Birth Trauma Inquiry highlighted the significant impact of birth trauma on women and families and called for research evidence on the associated public health and wider societal costs of postpartum PTSD. It is already known that maternity-related clinical claims against the NHS in 2024–25 cost £3.5 billion, making up 53% of all clinical claims by value received that year.

The report, authored by the MAP Alliance research team, provides the first estimates of some of the economic costs associated with PTSD following birth in the UK, focusing on health care use for affected women. However, there are additional costs associated with birth trauma and postnatal PTSD that were not within the scope of the report.

The report draws on findings from a program of research on perinatal mental health that tracked more than 2,000 perinatal women in England and Scotland from pregnancy to two years after birth, assessing mental health, health service use and occupational outcomes. The survey included postnatal assessment of childbirth-related PTSD and PTSD arising from other traumatic experiences.

The report also includes results from a separate survey conducted by the Birth Trauma Association of women's personal experiences of birth trauma and its effects on their lives.

The key findings are as follows:

  1. Health care and support service costs for women with childbirth-related PTSD were 2.5 times higher than those of women without PTSD during the period from six to 12 months after birth
  2. Women with low or moderate PTSD symptoms—including those with one or two symptoms—also reported increased health care service costs compared with those without PTSD, highlighting the impact of even lower levels of CB-PTSD
  3. Women with PTSD were less likely to return to work by 12 months after giving birth, indicating potential longer-term economic and employment impacts (more than half, 53%, of women with PTSD had returned to work, compared with more than two-thirds, 68%, of women without symptoms)
  4. Although women with PTSD were more likely to be referred to mental health support services, more than half received no referral, highlighting gaps in access to appropriate care
  5. Women who had PTSD due to traumatic birth had slightly higher health care costs than those with PTSD due to other traumas, suggesting greater health care needs

Policy recommendations in the report are as follows:

  1. Preventing traumatic births has the potential to save the NHS a substantial amount of money and increase the well-being of women and families
  2. Screening and treatment for PTSD are needed during pregnancy and after birth
  3. Training of the health care workforce is needed to raise awareness of perinatal trauma and PTSD, enhance skills in trauma-informed principles of care, and identify and support women at risk of PTSD
  4. Research is needed to ensure screening, treatments and trauma-informed care pathways are effective and evidence-based

Professor Susan Ayers, co-author of the report and professor of maternal and child health at City St George's, said, "Women and their families experience many detrimental impacts as a result of PTSD symptoms postpartum, whether due to a traumatic birth or other traumas. Many of these outcomes have cost implications for the public purse.

"Our research focused specifically on health care service use and found that health service costs alone for women with PTSD and their babies are more than double those of women without PTSD within the first two years after birth, and possibly beyond.

"Unless action is taken to address birth trauma and PTSD, the annual cost of health service use by women and their babies will remain high. Preventing traumatic births and implementing routine screening and treatment for PTSD will both benefit women and families and may begin to bring these costs down."

Dr. Kim Thomas, CEO of the Birth Trauma Association, said, "This study from City St George's, University of London, shows for the first time the scale of the financial cost of birth trauma to the NHS. As a charity, we have long been aware that women who have been affected by traumatic birth need far more care in the months—and sometimes years—following birth, whether that's in the form of counseling, physiotherapy or surgery.

"The findings from Professor Ayers and her team that these traumatized women represent a cost to the NHS two-and-a-half times greater than other women in the postnatal period should serve as a wake-up call to policymakers. We would now urge the government to commission research looking at the wider costs to the economy when women are lost to the job market or their families break up as a consequence of birth trauma."

Rt. Hon. Rosie Duffield MP, chair of the APPG on Birth Trauma, said, "Today in Parliament, we are delighted to launch a landmark report believed to be the first UK research into the economic cost of birth trauma and postpartum PTSD. The report builds on the APPG's 2024 Birth Trauma Inquiry, which I co-chaired and which highlighted the urgent need for research into the wider economic impact of birth trauma.

"The APPG has heard compelling evidence of its significant costs—from direct pressures on the NHS to the lasting financial consequences for families—and we are delighted that Professor Ayers of City St George's, University of London, secured funding to undertake this vital work."

Clinical categories

Women's healthPsychiatryObstetrics & gynecologyPregnancyPsychology & Mental health Provided by City St George's, University of London Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master's in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X's editorial success. Full profile →

Citation: New report first to outline economic impact of childbirth-related PTSD in the UK (2026, September 11) retrieved 11 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-outline-economic-impact-childbirth-ptsd.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.