{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,2]],"date-time":"2025-08-02T14:14:30Z","timestamp":1754144070360,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]],"date-time":"2025-07-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1752537600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Glob. Women\u2019s Health"],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Numerous factors influence the birth experience and outcomes, both positively and negatively. We aimed to investigate the relationship between the birth room environment and light condition during birth and their effects on birth method, perineal health, and birth experience.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method<\/jats:title><jats:p>A longitudinal cohort study was conducted in a medical center in Northern Israel. Participants completed self-report questionnaires during the third trimester of their pregnancy and again 72\u2005h post-birth (T1 and T2, <jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u2009126). Initially sociodemographic data and reproductive history were collected, as well as preparation and plans for birth. Data about birth outcomes and birth complications were gathered from electronic records. Perception of the birth environment and the state of consciousness during birth (T2) was assessed using a valid questionnaire that includes 36 statements indicating the state of flow.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Our study demonstrated a significant positive correlation between birth type and birth room light conditions. Vaginal births predominantly occured under dim light (86.36% vs. 68.3%). Moreover, a negative correlation was observed between perineal tears and dim light levels (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.0033). Regarding maternal mental state during birth, dimmer lighting correlated with heightened experiences of Unambiguous feedback flow state (<jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\u2009=\u20090.003).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Dim light was correlated with higher rates of vaginal birth, fewer perineal tears, and enhanced maternal immersion during birth. Although promising, these associations are correlational and require further exploration. Our findings suggest that the birth room is not merely a physical setting but a dynamic environment where sensory cues and psychological states interact.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fgwh.2025.1599885","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]],"date-time":"2025-07-15T05:25:15Z","timestamp":1752557115000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Illuminating birth: exploring the impact of birthing environment lighting on labor"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"6","author":[{"given":"Shenhav","family":"Albo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Orli","family":"Dahan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Omer","family":"Horovitz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"David","family":"Peleg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Inbar","family":"Ben-Shachar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Yael","family":"Sciaky-Tamir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"429","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wombi.2023.02.009","article-title":"Effect of alternatively designed hospital birthing rooms on the rate of vaginal births: multicentre randomised controlled trial Be-Up","volume":"36","author":"Ayerle","year":"2023","journal-title":"Women Birth"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"413","DOI":"10.1002\/col.22842","article-title":"Color, light, and birth space design: an integrative review","volume":"48","author":"Balabanoff","year":"2023","journal-title":"Color Res Appl"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e337","DOI":"10.1016\/j.wombi.2021.07.005","article-title":"The influence and meaning of the birth environment for nulliparous women at a hospital-based labour ward in Sweden: an ethnographic study","volume":"35","author":"Goldkuhl","year":"2022","journal-title":"Women Birth"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1072047","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2023.1072047","article-title":"Navigating intensive altered states of consciousness: how can the set and setting key parameters promote the science of human birth?","volume":"14","author":"Dahan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0194906","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0194906","article-title":"What matters to women during childbirth: a systematic qualitative review","volume":"13","author":"Downe","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"817","DOI":"10.1007\/s00737-019-00968-2","article-title":"Delivery mode is associated with maternal mental health following childbirth","volume":"22","author":"Dekel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Arch Womens Ment Health"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"256","DOI":"10.1080\/10749039.2022.2110262","article-title":"Not just mechanical birthing bodies: articulating the impact of imbalanced power relationships in the birth arena on women\u2019s subjectivity, agency, and consciousness","volume":"29","author":"Dahan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mind Cult Act"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-2393-11-6","article-title":"Fear causes tears\u2014perineal injuries in home birth settings. 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