A new open-access scoping review maps 29 sources on EMDR for birth trauma and highlights where the evidence is still thin.

The European Journal of Psychotraumatology has published a scoping review of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a treatment for birth trauma. Susan O’Donovan, Laura Ward, and Ruth Melia of the University of Limerick’s Department of Psychology published the review on June 23, 2026. It is open access.

Traumatic childbirth can have lasting consequences for mothers, and for their children and partners. The authors note that NICE guidance recommends trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or EMDR for women with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) resulting from a traumatic birth, but how EMDR is actually applied to this population has remained unclear. Their stated aim, set out in a protocol published in BMJ Open in May 2025, was to chart the extent of the available research.

A scoping review does a specific job. It does not pool outcomes or settle efficacy; it takes inventory of what studies exist, what they cover, and where the holes are. The team published its protocol in advance and followed PRISMA-ScR guidelines, searching six databases and grey literature from inception through roughly August 2025, with two reviewers screening independently.

The inventory came to 29 sources of evidence: randomized controlled trials, qualitative studies, systematic reviews, and grey literature. The authors’ conclusion is measured. EMDR showed promise in treating birth trauma, and the evidence base is limited and heterogeneous in study design and outcome measures. The gap list is specific: long-term data, qualitative designs, diverse ethnicities, and the perspectives of partners.

For clinicians who get asked about EMDR after a traumatic birth, the review is a current, citable answer to what the evidence does and does not yet cover. The full text, including the study tables, is open access.

Selected Sources

• O’Donovan, Ward, and Melia. “Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment for birth trauma: a scoping review.” European Journal of Psychotraumatology (2026). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2026.2678658
• University of Limerick Research Repository. Full-text record and PDF for the scoping review. https://researchrepository.ul.ie/bitstreams/f6047461-65b6-47d8-b0c2-422e915020ce/download
• O’Donovan, Ward, and Melia. “Scoping review protocol of the use of eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing in the treatment of birth trauma.” BMJ Open (2025). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2025-099751
• NICE. “Antenatal and postnatal mental health: clinical management and service guidance.” https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg192/chapter/1-recommendations