ATTITUDES OF PREGNANT AND POSTPARTUM WOMEN TOWARD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH CARE

Abstract

Objective. To assess the attitudes of pregnant and postpartum women toward the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in pregnancy and childbirth care and identify factors associated with more favorable attitudes.Methods. An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted using an author-designed 31-item questionnaire. The study included 253 pregnant or postpartum women up to three years after childbirth, recruited at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics and through an online survey. Attitudes toward AI were assessed using a 14-item composite index. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Spearman correlation, analysis of variance, and hierarchical regression.Results. Overall attitudes toward AI in pregnancy and childbirth care were moderately favorable (M = 3.35, SD = 0.68). AI was rated more favorably for health data monitoring and analysis than for clinical decision support (p < 0.001). Most respondents trusted physician-validated AI recommendations (80.7%), but only 10.7% trusted AI decisions as much as physicians’ decisions, whereas 91.3% considered physician oversight essential. More favorable attitudes were associated with greater trust in AI, prior AI use for health-related purposes, and higher education, whereas concerns about errors were associated with less favorable attitudes. The final regression model explained 51.3% of the variance in attitudes toward AI.Conclusions. Pregnant and postpartum women showed moderately favorable attitudes toward AI. AI was more acceptable as a tool supporting physicians than for independent clinical decision-making. Trust in AI and prior AI use were associated with greater acceptance, whereas concerns about errors reduced it. Successful AI integration into obstetric care requires transparent communication and preserving physicians’ role in clinical decision-making