Continuous support for women during childbirth.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Bohren MA
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6483123 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Historically, women have been attended and supported by other women during labour. However, in hospitals worldwide, continuous support during labour has become the exception rather than the routine.Primary: to assess the effects of continuous, one-to-one intrapartum support compared with usual care. Secondary: to determine whether the effects of continuous support are influenced by: (1) routine practices and policies; (2) the provider's relationship to the hospital and to the woman; and (3) timing of onset.We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (30 June 2012).All published and unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing continuous support during labour with usual care.We used standard methods of The Cochrane Collaboration Pregnancy and Childbirth Group. Two review authors independently evaluated methodological quality and extracted the data. We sought additional information from the trial authors. We used random-effects analyses for comparisons in which high heterogeneity was present, and we reported results using the average risk ratio (RR) for categorical data and mean difference (MD) for continuous data.Twenty-two trials involving 15,288 women met inclusion criteria and provided usable outcome data. Results are of random-effects analyses, unless otherwise noted. Women allocated to continuous support were more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth (RR 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04 to 1.12) and less likely to have intrapartum analgesia (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.84 to 0.96) or to report dissatisfaction (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.79). In addition, their labours were shorter (MD -0.58 hours, 95% CI -0.85 to -0.31), they were less likely to have a caesarean (RR 0.78, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.91) or instrumental vaginal birth (fixed-effect, RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85 to 0.96), regional analgesia (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.99), or a baby with a low five-minute Apgar score (fixed-effect, RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.95). There was no apparent impact on other intrapartum interventions, maternal or neonatal complications, or breastfeeding. Subgroup analyses suggested that continuous support was most effective when the provider was neither part of the hospital staff nor the woman's social network, and in settings in which epidural analgesia was not routinely available. No conclusions could be drawn about the timing of onset of continuous support.Continuous support during labour has clinically meaningful benefits for women and infants and no known harm. All women should have support throughout labour and birth.
| S-EPMC4175537 | biostudies-other
Project description:Despite the known benefits of continuous support during childbirth, the practice is still not routinely implemented in all maternity settings and women's views and experiences might not be considered. The purpose of the study was to integrate individual studies' findings related to women's experiences of continuous support during childbirth in order to expand the understanding of the phenomenon. The review question was: What were the views and experiences of women regarding continuous support during childbirth as reported in studies that adopted qualitative or mixed research methods (with a qualitative component) using semi-structured, in-depth or focus group interviews or case studies?A detailed search was executed on electronic data bases: EBSCOhost: Medline, CINAHL, PsychINFO, SocINDEX, OAlster, Scopus, SciELO, Science Direct, PubMED and Google Scholar, using a predetermined search strategy. Reference lists of included studies were analysed to identify possible studies that were missing from electronic data bases. Pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied during the selection of eligible sources. After critical appraisal, a total of 12 studies were included for data-extraction and meta-synthesis.Two themes were identified, namely the roles and attributes of the support persons and the type of support provided. Women's perceptions about continuous support during childbirth were influenced by the characteristics and attributes of the support person as well as the types of supportive care rendered. Women preferred someone with whom they were familiar and comfortable.Continuous support during childbirth was valued by most women. Their perceptions were influenced by the type of support person: a health professional or a lay support person. Health care institutions should include continuous support during childbirth in their policies and guidelines.
| S-EPMC5952857 | biostudies-other
Project description:The World Health Organization has recently set standards emphasising the importance of emotional support during birth for improving the quality of maternal and newborn healthcare in facilities. In this study, we explore the emotional support status of women during birth in rural Bangladesh. A cross-sectional household survey of 1367 women was administered in 2018 in Brahmanbaria district. Outcomes of interest included: presence of a companion of choice; mobility; intake of fluids and food; and position of choice. Associations between outcomes of interest and background characteristics were explored through binary and multiple logistic regressions. Approximately 68% women had a companion of choice during labour or childbirth, significantly higher among women giving birth at home (75%) than in a health facility. Nearly 60% women were allowed to eat and drink during labour, also significantly higher among women giving birth at home. Seventy-per cent women were allowed to be ambulatory during labour (46% in a facility vs. 85% at home). Only 27% women were offered or allowed to give birth in the position of their choice at facility, compared to 54% giving birth at home. Among women giving birth in a facility who did not have a companion of choice, 39% reported that the health provider/health facility management did not allow this. Ensuring emotional support and thereby improving the quality of the experience of care within health facilities should be prioritised by the Bangladesh government both to improve health outcomes of women and newborns and also to promote more humanised, positive childbirth experiences.
| S-EPMC7887950 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:In resource-limited settings, childbirth remains a matter of life and death. High levels of childbirth fear in primigravid women are inevitable. To date, few studies have explored interventions to reduce childbirth fear in primigravid women. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of companion-integrated childbirth preparation (C-ICP) during late pregnancy for reducing childbirth fear and improving childbirth self-efficacy, birth companion support, and other selected pregnancy outcomes in primigravid women. METHODS:A quasi-experimental study was carried out using a non-equivalent control group design to recruit a sample of 70 primigravid women in hospital maternity waiting homes in the intervention and control groups, with 35 in each group. The primigravid women and their birth companions in the intervention group received two sessions of companion-integrated childbirth preparation, whereas the control group received routine care. A questionnaire that incorporated the childbirth attitude questionnaire (CAQ), the childbirth self-efficacy inventory (CBSEI), the birth companion support questionnaire (BCSQ), and a review checklist of selected pregnancy outcomes was used to collect data. Pretest and post-test data were analyzed using simple linear regression. Beta coefficients were adjusted at a 95% confidence interval with statistical significance set at a P-value of <?0.05 using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. RESULTS:At pretest, mean scores were similar in the intervention and control groups. At post-test, being in the intervention group significantly decreased childbirth fears (?: =?-?.866, t (68)?=?-?14.27, p?<?.001) and significantly increased childbirth self-efficacy (?: = .903, t (68)?=?17.30, p?<?.001). In addition, being in the intervention group significantly increased birth companion support (?: =?-?0.781, t (68)?=?10.32, p?<?.001). However, no statistically significant differences regarding pregnancy outcomes were observed between the study groups (Mann-Whiney U test, p?>?.05). CONCLUSION:The findings of our study suggest that C-ICP is a promising intervention to reduce childbirth fear while increasing childbirth self-efficacy and maternal support. We recommend the inclusion of C-ICP for primigravid women during late pregnancy in resource-limited settings.
| S-EPMC6975021 | biostudies-literature
Project description:INTRODUCTION:Design and provision of good quality maternity care should incorporate what matters to childbearing women. This qualitative systematic review was undertaken to inform WHO intrapartum guidelines. METHODS:Using a pre-determined search strategy, we searched Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED, EMBASE, LILACS, AJOL, and reference lists of eligible studies published 1996-August 2016 (updated to January 2018), reporting qualitative data on womens' childbirth beliefs, expectations, and values. Studies including specific interventions or health conditions were excluded. PRISMA guidelines were followed. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS:Authors' findings were extracted, logged on a study-specific data form, and synthesised using meta-ethnographic techniques. Confidence in the quality, coherence, relevance and adequacy of data underpinning the resulting themes was assessed using GRADE-CERQual. A line of argument synthesis was developed. RESULTS:35 studies (19 countries) were included in the primary search, and 2 in the update. Confidence in most results was moderate to high. What mattered to most women was a positive experience that fulfilled or exceeded their prior personal and socio-cultural beliefs and expectations. This included giving birth to a healthy baby in a clinically and psychologically safe environment with practical and emotional support from birth companions, and competent, reassuring, kind clinical staff. Most wanted a physiological labour and birth, while acknowledging that birth can be unpredictable and frightening, and that they may need to 'go with the flow'. If intervention was needed or wanted, women wanted to retain a sense of personal achievement and control through active decision-making. These values and expectations were mediated through womens' embodied (physical and psychosocial) experience of pregnancy and birth; local familial and sociocultural norms; and encounters with local maternity services and staff. CONCLUSIONS:Most healthy childbearing women want a positive birth experience. Safety and psychosocial wellbeing are equally valued. Maternity care should be designed to fulfil or exceed womens' personal and socio-cultural beliefs and expectations.
| S-EPMC5903648 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Highlights • Pregnant and recently delivered women reported behavior changes due to COVID-19.• Preventive measures (e.g. social distancing) were used by respondents.• Negative changes in mental health, such as increased stress, were also reported.• Employment and fiscal security decreased; postpartum alcohol consumption increased.• Healthcare access remained stable for most. Objective Better understand knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women and mothers of infants around coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods A 58-item electronic survey was distributed to pregnant and postpartum women (infants <12 months) who were >15 years, English-speaking and enrolled in prenatal programs. Data is summarized using central tendency, frequencies and nonparametric statistics. Results Of 114 (51 % response rate) participants, 82.5 % reported negative changes in mental status measures (e.g. stress, anxious thoughts, changes in sleep patterns). All reported risk-reduction behavior changes (e.g. handwashing/use of sanitizer, social distancing). Significant changes were reported in employment and financial status due to the pandemic. Increases in alcohol consumption among postpartum women were also reported. Few reported changes in prenatal, infant or postpartum healthcare access. Conclusion This study provides initial insight into the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant and postpartum women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is limited as participants represent a single Midwest community and social desirability response bias may have impacted responses. However, results may inform future interventions to support pregnant women and mothers of infants during pandemics. Practice implications Providers should consider the impact of such events on mental status, access to resources and changes in behaviors.
| S-EPMC7515599 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPromoting respectful care at childbirth is important to improve quality of care and encourage women to utilize skilled delivery services. However, there has been a relative lack of public health research on this topic in Nigeria. A systematic review was conducted to synthesize current evidence on disrespect and abuse of women during childbirth in Nigeria in order to understand its nature and extent, contributing factors and consequences, and propose solutions.MethodsFive electronic databases were searched for relevant published studies, and five data sources for additional grey literature. A qualitative synthesis was conducted using the Bowser and Hill landscape analytical framework on disrespect and abuse of women during childbirth.ResultsFourteen studies were included in this review. Of these studies, eleven were cross sectional studies, one was a qualitative study and two used a mixed method approach. The type of abuse most frequently reported was non-dignified care in form of negative, poor and unfriendly provider attitude and the least frequent were physical abuse and detention in facilities. These behaviors were influenced by low socioeconomic status, lack of education and empowerment of women, poor provider training and supervision, weak health systems, lack of accountability and legal redress mechanisms. Overall, disrespectful and abusive behavior undermined the utilization of health facilities for delivery and created psychological distance between women and health providers.ConclusionThis systematic review documented a broad range of disrespectful and abusive behavior experienced by women during childbirth in Nigeria, their contributing factors and consequences. The nature of the factors influencing disrespectful and abusive behavior suggests that educating women on their rights, strengthening health systems to respond to specific needs of women at childbirth, improving providers training to encompass interpersonal aspects of care, and implementing and enforcing policies on respectful maternity care are important. This review has also shown that more robust research is needed to explore disrespect and abuse of women during childbirth in Nigeria and propose compelling interventions.
| S-EPMC5360318 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PURPOSE:The goal of this study was to assess perspectives of racially/ethnically diverse, low-income pregnant women on how doula services (nonmedical maternal support) may influence the outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth. METHODS:We conducted 4 in-depth focus group discussions with low-income pregnant women. We used a selective coding scheme based on 5 themes (agency, personal security, connectedness, respect, and knowledge) identified in the Good Birth framework, and we analyzed salient themes in the context of the Gelberg-Anderson behavioral model and the social determinants of health. RESULTS:Participants identified the role doulas played in mitigating the effects of social determinants. The 5 themes of the Good Birth framework characterized the means by which nonmedical support from doulas influenced the pathways between social determinants of health and birth outcomes. By addressing health literacy and social support needs, pregnant women noted that doulas affect access to and the quality of health care services received during pregnancy and birth. CONCLUSIONS:Access to doula services for pregnant women who are at risk of poor birth outcomes may help to disrupt the pervasive influence of social determinants as predisposing factors for health during pregnancy and childbirth.
| S-EPMC5544529 | biostudies-other
Project description:BACKGROUND:Improving the quality of maternal health care is critical to reduce mortality and improve women's experiences. Mistreatment during childbirth in health facilities can be an important barrier for women when considering facility-based childbirth. Therefore, this study attempted to explore the acceptability of mistreatment during childbirth in Myanmar according to women and healthcare providers, and to understand how gender power relations influence mistreatment during childbirth. METHODS:A qualitative study was conducted in two townships in Bago Region in September 2015, among women of reproductive age (18-49?years), healthcare providers and facility administrators. Semi-structured discussion guides were used to explore community norms, and experiences and perceptions regarding mistreatment. Coding was conducted using athematic analysis approach and Atlas.ti. Results were interpreted using a gender analysis approach to explore how power dynamics, hierarchies, and gender inequalities influence how women are treated during childbirth. RESULTS:Women and providers were mostly unaccepting of different types of mistreatment. However, some provided justification for slapping and shouting at women as encouragement during labour. Different access to resources, such as financial resources, information about pregnancy and childbirth, and support from family members during labor might impact how women are treated. Furthermore, social norms around pregnancy and childbirth and relationships between healthcare providers and women shape women's experiences. Both informal and formal rules govern different aspects of a woman's childbirth care, such as when she is allowed to see her family, whether she is considered "obedient", and what type of behaviors she is expected to have when interacting with providers. CONCLUSIONS:This is the first use of gender analysis to explore how gender dynamics and power relations contribute to women's experiences of mistreatment during childbirth. Both providers and women expected women to understand and "obey" the rules of the health facility and instructions from providers in order to have better experiences. In this way, deviation from following the rules and instructions puts the providers in a place where perpetrating acts of mistreatment were justifiable under certain conditions. Understanding how gender norms and power structures how women are treated during childbirth is critical to improve women's experiences.
| S-EPMC7171855 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDespite growing recognition of neglectful, abusive, and disrespectful treatment of women during childbirth in health facilities, there is no consensus at a global level on how these occurrences are defined and measured. This mixed-methods systematic review aims to synthesize qualitative and quantitative evidence on the mistreatment of women during childbirth in health facilities to inform the development of an evidence-based typology of the phenomenon.Methods and findingsWe searched PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase databases and grey literature using a predetermined search strategy to identify qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies on the mistreatment of women during childbirth across all geographical and income-level settings. We used a thematic synthesis approach to synthesize the qualitative evidence and assessed the confidence in the qualitative review findings using the CERQual approach. In total, 65 studies were included from 34 countries. Qualitative findings were organized under seven domains: (1) physical abuse, (2) sexual abuse, (3) verbal abuse, (4) stigma and discrimination, (5) failure to meet professional standards of care, (6) poor rapport between women and providers, and (7) health system conditions and constraints. Due to high heterogeneity of the quantitative data, we were unable to conduct a meta-analysis; instead, we present descriptions of study characteristics, outcome measures, and results. Additional themes identified in the quantitative studies are integrated into the typology.ConclusionsThis systematic review presents a comprehensive, evidence-based typology of the mistreatment of women during childbirth in health facilities, and demonstrates that mistreatment can occur at the level of interaction between the woman and provider, as well as through systemic failures at the health facility and health system levels. We propose this typology be adopted to describe the phenomenon and be used to develop measurement tools and inform future research, programs, and interventions.
| S-EPMC4488322 | biostudies-literature