Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting
Date Submitted: Sep 8, 2025
Date Accepted: Dec 24, 2025
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Virtual Reality for Prenatal Parent Education: A Scoping Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Prenatal education enhances knowledge, emotional readiness, and confidence in expectant parents, but traditional in-person formats often face barriers to accessibility. Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive and interactive experiences, yet its use in prenatal education for parents is still emerging.
Objective:
This scoping review aimed to synthesize evidence on VR applications in prenatal education programs, examining their benefits, limitations, and design considerations to inform future interventions.
Methods:
A scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR guidelines (checklist in Multimedia Appendix 1). We searched seven databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) and grey literature sources (Google Scholar, SciSpace) between January 30 and July 15, 2025. Grey literature was explored via Google Scholar and SciSpace. Inclusion criteria followed the PCC framework (Participants: expectant parents; Concept: VR-based prenatal education; Context: any healthcare or educational setting). Two reviewers independently screened records and extracted data. The review was registered on OSF (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4UZY7).
Results:
Twelve studies were included from 1721 records. Studies were conducted in Korea, Iran, Finland, Belgium, China, the Netherlands, Indonesia, and mainly used randomized controlled, quasi-experimental, or feasibility designs. VR interventions included headsets, 360° video, and mobile simulations. The main investigated outcomes were about psychological, physiological, educational, and experiential features. Moreover, five major themes were synthesized based on thematic analysis. Most studies (n=10; 81.8%) reported high feasibility and engagement, especially when VR was immersive and user-controlled. Key themes included enhanced childbirth preparedness, importance of realism and presence, usability barriers (e.g., discomfort, guidance), and the educational/motivational potential of VR. Methodological limitations were noted, including small sample sizes and a lack of long-term data.
Conclusions:
Evidence on VR in prenatal education remains limited and methodologically heterogeneous. Most interventions focused on maternal knowledge and psychological outcomes, with limited emphasis on partner inclusion. Future research should adopt rigorous study designs, report standardized outcomes and long-term outcomes to support integration into maternity care, and involve partners or other significant persons who support the mother during pregnancy. Clinical Trial: Open Science Framework OSF (DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/4UZY7).
Citation
