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Background: There is increasing evidence that a companionship is an important tool for improving the quality of care provided to pregnant women during the labour and delivery process. The literature review shows very limited studies assessing the role of companions during childbirth from the companion's point of view. Many published papers studied the role and satisfaction of pregnant women but not their companions. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the role and effect of companions during childbirth in Oman. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Oman, between June 2022 and April 2023. Companions were interviewed face-to-face at a time convenient to them. A telephone interview was conducted with those who left the hospital early. The questionnaire comprised sociodemographic data and other sections, including the nature of the help provided by the supportive companion, their effects on the women who gave birth, and the timing of their presence during companionship. Results: A total of 214 companions were included in this study with the mean age of 42.54 years. The most common relationship to the pregnant women was mothers (35.7%), followed by husbands (30.5%). The majority of companions provided support during admission (62.6%), in the immediate post-partum ward (56.5%) and during delivery (54.2%), while a minority helped from admission to discharge (22.4%). The most common type of support provided was encouraging words (89.7%) followed by transferring things (43.9%), massage (37.4%) and touch (33.6%). The majority of companions (96.7%) reported that their support helped very much, and the pregnant women felt better and calmer. Conclusions: Labouring women felt better and calmer because of the presence of companions. Companions preferred to be present in the postpartum and during labour and delivery. The majority of companions support their labouring women by encouraging wards. Companions love and encourage others to support their labouring women during their critical times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Today, person-centred care is seen as a cornerstone of health policy and practice, but accommodating individual patient preferences can be challenging, for example involving caesarean section on maternal request (CSMR). The aim of this study was to explore Swedish health professionals' perspectives on CSMR and analyse them with regard to potential conflicts that may arise from person-centred care, specifically in relation to shared decision-making. Methods: A qualitative study using both inductive and deductive content analysis was conducted based on semi-structured interviews. It was based on a purposeful sampling of 12 health professionals: seven obstetricians, three midwives and two neonatologists working at different hospitals in southern and central Sweden. The interviews were recorded either in a telephone call or in a video conference call, and audio files were deleted after transcription. Results: In the interviews, twelve types of expressions (sub-categories) of five types of conflicts (categories) between shared decision-making and CSMR emerged. Most health professionals agreed in principle that women have the right to decide over their own body, but did not believe this included the right to choose surgery without medical indications (patient autonomy). The health professionals also expressed that they had to consider not only the woman's current preferences and health but also her future health, which could be negatively impacted by a CSMR (treatment quality and patient safety). Furthermore, the health professionals did not consider costs in the individual decision, but thought CSMR might lead to crowding-out effects (avoiding treatments that harm others). Although the health professionals emphasised that every CSMR request was addressed individually, they referred to different strategies for avoiding arbitrariness (equality and non-discrimination). Lastly, they described that CSMR entailed a multifaceted decision being individual yet collective, and the use of birth contracts in order to increase a woman's sense of security (an uncomplicated decision-making process). Conclusions: The complex landscape for handling CSMR in Sweden, arising from a restrictive approach centred on collective and standardised solutions alongside a simultaneous shift towards person-centred care and individual decision-making, was evident in the health professionals' reasoning. Although most health professionals emphasised that the mode of delivery is ultimately a professional decision, they still strived towards shared decision-making through information and support. Given the different views on CSMR, it is of utmost importance for healthcare professionals and women to reach a consensus on how to address this issue and to discuss what patient autonomy and shared decision-making mean in this specific context. Plain English summary: Person-centered care is today a widespread approach, but accommodating individual patient preferences can be challenging, for example involving caesarean section on maternal request (CSMR). This study examines Swedish health professionals' views on CSMR. Interviews with 12 health professionals reveal conflicts between CSMR and key aspects of person-centered care, in particular shared decision-making. While professionals acknowledge women's autonomy, they question CSMR without medical need. Concerns include for example treatment quality and patient safety, and avoiding treatments that harm others. The Swedish context, balancing collective solutions with individualized care, complicates decision-making. Unlike countries with more private healthcare, where CSMR support might be higher, Swedish health professionals emphasize shared decision-making despite viewing the mode of delivery as primarily a professional decision. This study sheds light on the challenges in integrating CSMR into person-centered care frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childbirth reserves respect, as emphasized by the World Health Organization in 2018, and the focus towards the need for positive, dignified delivery experiences has become an integral aspect of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC). It is a known fact that RMC is pivotal for favourable birth outcomes and contributes to the satisfaction of maternity care. The absence of RMC negatively affects women's and newborns' rights. The study aimed to explore healthcare providers' perspectives on sustaining RMC actions that mothers previously reported. Methodology: This study was conducted in five hospitals in the Eastern province of Rwanda, involving 5 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with midwives and nurses. For interviews, we purposively selected 5-unit managers and five physicians. Additionally, 40 midwives and nurses were recruited for the FGDs. The research utilized the Dream phase of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) for interviews and Focus Groups. Data collection aimed to gain insights into Healthcare Providers' perceptions of how RMC is provided and how to establish and sustain RMC in Rwandan health facilities. Nvivo 12 was employed for organizing codes and creating a codebook, and thematic analysis was applied. Results: Four themes with sub-themes emerged. Namely, 1) Women-centered care, with Compassionate care, Privacy and confidentiality maintenance, Information provision and Liberty in decision making, Effective communication, Family involvement, Cleanliness, and Equality care. 2) Professionalism compliance with Motivated staff, Teamwork, Continuous development, Quality work provision, and Community trust. 3) RMC encounters 4) RMC sustenance. Conclusion and recommendations: The continuous pursuit of high RMC standards in Rwanda involves improving childbirth experiences through utilizing existing resources, ongoing improvement, and sustaining achievements. Key recommended actions in this study for sustaining RMC encompass promoting women-centred care, enhancing healthcare provider attitudes, ensuring professionalism, building community trust, maintaining conducive health facility environments, and involving leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The existence of a valid instrument to evaluate the attitude of mothers towards compliance with medical ethics during childbirth can lead to appropriate interventions to create a positive attitude. The purpose of this study is to determine the construct validity of the MEAVDQ (Medical Ethics Attitude in Vaginal Delivery Questionnaire). Methods: The study was carried out with 350 women. The main research instrument was MEAVDQ. This 59-item questionnaire comprises three parts A, B, J. Part A is concerned with the first principles. Part B deals with the second and third principles and part J addresses the fourth principle of medical ethics. Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) was used to determine the construct validity of MEAVDQ. Results: The results of SEM revealed that there was a positive correlation between structures A and B. The relationship between structures B and J was also positive and significant. On the other hand, there was a direct and indirect relationship between structures A and J. One-unit increase in structure A led to 0.16 (95% CI: 0.01, 0.33) direct increase in structure J. Also, one-unit increase score increases in structure A caused 0.39 indirect rise (95% CI: 0.26, 0.53) in structure J with the mediating role of the structure B. Conclusions: It can be suggested to midwifery policy maker and midwives that respect for the first principle of medical ethics and autonomy is the most important principle of medical ethics in childbirth. By respecting the autonomy of mothers, a positive birth experience can be created for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Experiencing childbirth as traumatic is common and can have long-lasting negative consequences for women's mental health. However, fostering a sense of social identity has been shown to protect psychological wellbeing and mental health during life transitions, such as entering parenthood. This study therefore investigated the relationship between traumatic childbirth and first-time mothers' social identity and their psychological wellbeing, and more specifically whether strength of identity as a first-time mother protected psychological wellbeing following traumatic childbirth. Method: Women over the age of 18 who were living in the UK and had given birth to their first child in the past nine months were recruited to the study from clinical and community settings. They completed digital self-report questionnaires about their birth experience, social identity, mental health, and psychological wellbeing. Women who perceived themselves to have had a traumatic birth (the trauma group; N = 84) were compared to women who did not perceive themselves to have had a traumatic birth (the control group, N = 39). T-tests and chi square tests assessed preliminary group differences before multivariate analyses of covariance controlled for covariates. Post-hoc tests identified the direction of differences. Multiple regression and moderation analyses analysed interaction effects. Results: The trauma group had significantly lower psychological wellbeing (mean = 41.5, 95% CI [39.4–43.7], p =.008, partial η2 = 0.059), compared to the control group (mean = 48.4, 95% CI [45.3–51.5]), but the two groups did not differ in the strength of their first-time mother identity, which was high across both groups. Strength of identity did not moderate the relationship between traumatic childbirth and psychological wellbeing. Giving birth by caesarean section independently reduced the strength of the first-time mother identity (p =.017, partial η2 = 0.049). All analyses controlled for emotional and practical support, perceptions of healthcare staff, and mode of birth. Conclusions: Having a traumatic birth was associated with lower psychological wellbeing, and the strength of first-time mother identity does not appear to moderate this relationship. Factors such as mode of birth may be more important. Further research, including longitudinal designs, is needed to understand the relationship between these constructs and identify more effective ways of protecting first-time mothers' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common form of violence against women. Postpartum IPV refers to any type of IPV that occurs up to one year after childbirth and has many adverse impacts on mothers and their children. Considering the lack of sufficient information on the prevalence and factors related to IPV after childbirth in Iran, this study aimed to evaluate the frequency and severity of IPV, its different forms, and psychosocial factors related to IPV, as well as to explore how IPV is perceived among mothers one year after childbirth. Methods: An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used to conduct this study in two phases. The first phase is a cross-sectional study that will be performed on postpartum mothers who have a one-year-old child referred to health care centers in the southern region of Tehran, Iran, with the aim of determining the prevalence of IPV and its related factors. The second phase is a qualitative conventional content analysis study with the purpose of exploring women's experiences and perceptions of IPV and its preventive or protective factors. Purposive sampling will be used. Based on the results of the quantitative phase, mothers who are at the two ends of the IPV spectrum (based on their total Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS-2) scores) will be selected, and in-depth and semistructured interviews will be conducted with them. Finally, the researchers will provide an interpretation of the quantitative results using qualitative data. Discussion: This is the first study that uses a mixed methods approach to explain different dimensions of IPV, its related factors, and mothers' perceptions of it. By providing a better understanding of this phenomenon, it is hoped that the results of this research will be used by policymakers and officials of educational and cultural systems to plan and provide effective interventions, enact laws, and present educational and cultural programs to prevent IPV after childbirth. Ethical code: IR.TUMS.FNM.REC1400.200. Plain English summary: Intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence against women, with a higher prevalence in Asian and Eastern Mediterranean countries, including Iran. The period after childbirth is a stressful and anxiety-provoking event due to the increased physical, psychological, social, and economic needs of parents, leading to intimate partner violence. Studies show that women who experience violence after childbirth face many physical, sexual, and emotional problems. Additionally, it will have a negative impact on their baby. Many factors can lead to intimate partner violence, among which psychological factors are among the most important. Therefore, we decided to perform a study in two phases with the aim of determining the prevalence and factors related to intimate partner violence. In the first phase, we will study Iranian women who have a one-year child living in southern Tehran city and ask them to complete questionnaires related to intimate partner violence. In the second phase, we will conduct an interview with women who have experienced violence after childbirth to obtain more information about the factors involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality rate estimation in small areas can be difficult due the low number of events/exposure (i.e. stochastic error). If the death records are not completed, it adds a systematic uncertainty on the mortality estimates. Previous studies in Brazil have combined demographic and statistical methods to partially overcome these issues. We estimated age- and sex-specific mortality rates for all 5,565 Brazilian municipalities in 2010 and forecasted probabilistic mortality rates and life expectancy between 2010 and 2030. Methods: We used a combination of the Tool for Projecting Age-Specific Rates Using Linear Splines (TOPALS), Bayesian Model, Spatial Smoothing Model and an ad-hoc procedure to estimate age- and sex-specific mortality rates for all Brazilian municipalities for 2010. Then we adapted the Lee-Carter model to forecast mortality rates by age and sex in all municipalities between 2010 and 2030. Results: The adjusted sex- and age-specific mortality rates for all Brazilian municipalities in 2010 reveal a distinct regional pattern, showcasing a decrease in life expectancy in less socioeconomically developed municipalities when compared to estimates without adjustments. The forecasted mortality rates indicate varying regional improvements, leading to a convergence in life expectancy at birth among small areas in Brazil. Consequently, a reduction in the variability of age at death across Brazil's municipalities was observed, with a persistent sex differential. Conclusion: Mortality rates at a small-area level were successfully estimated and forecasted, with associated uncertainty estimates also generated for future life tables. Our approach could be applied across countries with data quality issues to improve public policy planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mistreatment during childbirth is a growing concern worldwide, especially in developing countries, such as Iran. In response, we launched a comprehensive implementation research (IR) project to reduce mistreatment during childbirth and enhance positive birth experiences in birth facilities. This study identified the challenges of implementing a multi-level intervention to reduce mistreatment of women during childbirth using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Methods: An exploratory qualitative study, involving 30 in-depth interviews, was conducted between July 2022 and February 2023. Participants included a purposive sample of key stakeholders at different levels of the health system (macro: Ministry of Health and Medical Education; meso: universities of medical sciences and health services; and micro: hospitals) with sufficient knowledge, direct experience, and/or collaboration in the implementation of the studied interventions. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded using directed qualitative content analysis (CFIR constructs) in MAXQDA 18. Results: The identified challenges were: (1) individual level (childbirth preparation classes: e.g., adaptability, design quality and packaging, cosmopolitanism; presence of birth companions: e.g., patient needs and resources, structural characteristics, culture); (2) healthcare provider level (integrating respectful maternity care into in-service training: e.g., relative priority, access to knowledge and information, reflecting and evaluating); (3) hospital level (evaluating the performance of maternity healthcare providers: e.g., executing, external policies and incentives); and (4) national health system level (implementation of pain relief during childbirth guidelines: e.g., networks and communications, patient needs and resources, executing, reflecting and evaluating). Conclusions: This study provides a clear understanding of the challenges of implementing a multi-level intervention to reduce mistreatment of women during childbirth and highlights potential implications for policy makers and practitioners of maternal health programs. We encourage them to take the lessons learned from this study and revise their current programs and policies regarding the quality of maternity care by focusing on the identified challenges. Plain English summary: Evidence suggests that mistreatment during childbirth is a growing concern worldwide, especially in developing countries, such as Iran. In this qualitative study, through 30 in-depth interviews with key stakeholders at different levels of the health system (macro: Ministry of Health and Medical Education; meso: universities of medical sciences and health services; and micro: hospitals), we identified the challenges of implementing a multi-level intervention to reduce mistreatment of women during childbirth using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The data were analyzed using directed content analysis and a deductive approach in MAXQDA 18 software. The identified challenges were: (1) individual level (childbirth preparation classes: e.g., adaptability; presence of birth companions: e.g., patient needs and resources); (2) healthcare provider level (integrating respectful maternity care into in-service training: e.g., relative priority); (3) hospital level (evaluating the performance of maternity healthcare providers: e.g., executing, external policies and incentives); and (4) national health system level (implementation of pain relief childbirth guidelines: e.g., networks and communications). This study provides a clear understanding of the challenges of implementing a multi-level intervention to reduce mistreatment of women during childbirth; and highlights potential implications for policy makers and practitioners of maternal health programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In group-based pregnancy models, antenatal care and childbirth/parenting education are provided in groups of eight to 10 women, usually with two midwives, and six to eight sessions. Current evidence is inconclusive regarding potential benefit or harm. We aimed to explore the feasibility of implementing an adequately powered randomised controlled trial (RCT). Methods: A two-arm pilot RCT was conducted in a tertiary maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Women were randomly allocated to either the intervention to receive group-based antenatal care and education (group care) or to usual care, which included hospital-based midwife, caseload midwifery, team midwifery, or GP shared care. Participants were English-speaking, primiparous, low risk, and < 24 weeks gestation at booking. Data collection: feasibility measures throughout pilot, baseline questionnaire at recruitment, clinical outcome data from the medical record, and a telephone-administered questionnaire 6 weeks postpartum. A focus group explored midwives' views. Results: Seventy-four women were recruited from May to June 2017 (group care = 40, usual care = 34). Study uptake was 35%. Women allocated to group care rated their overall pregnancy care more highly (88% good/very good vs 77% in usual care). There was no evidence of harm related to group care. Overarching themes from the midwives were that group care helped 'build connections' and 'empower women'. All midwives would work in the model again and believed it should be expanded. Conclusion: Group care was acceptable to both women and midwives with no evidence of harm. The pilot demonstrated the feasibility of undertaking a large adequately powered RCT, important given the inconclusive evidence on clinical outcomes regarding the model, and its current relatively widespread implementation. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12623000858695. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Worldwide mothers are suffering from postpartum depression (PPD) which impairs mothers' well-being, children, and families, and leads to adverse outcomes for mothers and their growing newborns. Low and middle-income countries have a higher prevalence of PPD and limited studies about it. This study assessed the percentage of Palestinian mothers experiencing PPD nationally, identified mothers at a higher risk of PPD, and studied the correlation between PPD and mistreatment during childbirth. Methods: The study is based on a secondary data analysis from a cross-sectional study in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). A total of 745 telephone-based interviews with mothers were done within 2–4 weeks post-childbirth. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used as a screening tool for PPD. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was used for analyzing the data. Results: In the context of descriptive epidemiology, we observed that 12.6% of the selected Palestinian mothers experienced PPD, with a higher occurrence of PPD among mothers living in the Gaza Strip, a politically and economically unstable region in Palestine, compared to mothers living in the West Bank (Adjusted Odd Ratio (AOD: 2.2, Confidence Interval (CI): 1.4–3.44). Older mothers were two times more likely to develop PPD compared to young mothers (AOR: 2.03, CI: 1.070–3.84). Mothers who experienced disrespectful behaviors represented by any abuse, negligence, abandonment, ineffective communication, or poor pain management in childbirth settings were more likely to report PPD than those who were not exposed to the disrespect. Conclusion: A notable percentage of Palestinian mothers were identified as experiencing PPD, especially among mothers who experienced mistreatment in childbirth settings. It is essential to support healthcare providers to improve their practices and attitudes to eliminate mistreatment and abusive behaviors of mothers during childbirth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Non-consented care, a form of obstetric violence involving the lack of informed consent for procedures, is a common but little-understood phenomenon in the global public health arena. The aim of this secondary analysis was to measure the prevalence and assess change over time of non-consented care during childbirth in Mexico in 2016 and 2021, as well as to examine the association of sociodemographic, pregnancy-, and childbirth-factors with this type of violence. Methods: We measured the prevalence of non-consented care and three of its variations, forced sterilization or contraception, forced cesarean section, and forced consent on paperwork, during childbirth in Mexico for 2016 (N = 24,036) and 2021 (N = 19,322) using data from Mexico's cross-sectional National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (ENDIREH). Weighted data were stratified by geographical regions. We performed adjusted logistic regression analyses to explore associations. Results: The national prevalence of non-consented care and one of its variations, pressure to get a contraceptive method, increased from 2016 to 2021. A decrease in the prevalence was observed for forced contraception or sterilization without knowledge, forcing women to sign paperwork, and non-consented cesarean sections nationally and in most regions. Women between the ages of 26 and 35 years, married, cohabiting with partner, living in urban settings, who do not identify as Indigenous, and who received prenatal services or gave birth at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) facilities experienced a higher prevalence of non-consented care. Being 26 years of age and older, living in a rural setting, experiencing stillbirths in the last five years, having a vaginal delivery, receiving prenatal services at IMSS, or delivering at a private facility were significantly associated with higher odds of reporting non-consented care. Conclusion: While a decrease in most of the variations of non-consented care was found, the overall prevalence of non-consented care and, in one of its variations, pressure to get contraceptives, increased at a national and regional level. Our findings suggest the need to enforce current laws and strengthen health systems, paying special attention to the geographical regions and populations that have experienced higher reported cases of this structural problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) is an increasing delivery option among women. As such, we aimed to understand the reasons that led pregnant women to request a caesarean delivery. Methods: A phenomenological study was conducted with semi-structured interviews, in a convenience sample, for women who had undergone a CDMR between March and June 2023, in a public reference university hospital in Campinas, Brazil. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and subjected to thematic analysis, supported by Nvivo®, and Reshape®. Results: We interviewed eighteen women between 21 and 43 years of age. The reasons for C-section as their choice were: 1) fear of labour pain, 2) fear for safety due to maternal or fetal risks, 3) traumatic previous birth experiences of the patient, family or friends 4) sense of control, and 5) lack of knowledge about the risks and benefits of C-section. Conclusions: The perception of C-section as the painless and safest way to give birth, the movement of giving voice and respecting the autonomy of pregnant women, as well as the national regulation, contribute to the increased rates of surgical abdominal delivery under request. Cultural change concerning childbirth and better counseling could support a more adequate informed decision-making about delivery mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of maternal death during pregnancy and the year after birth (the perinatal period). While maternal suicide is a relatively rare event with a prevalence of 3.84 per 100,000 live births in the UK [1], the impact of maternal suicide is profound and long-lasting. Many more women will attempt suicide during the perinatal period, with a worldwide estimated prevalence of 680 per 100,000 in pregnancy and 210 per 100,000 in the year after birth [2]. Qualitative research into perinatal suicide attempts is crucial to understand the experiences, motives and the circumstances surrounding these events, but this has largely been unexplored. Aim: Our study aimed to explore the experiences of women and birthing people who had a perinatal suicide attempt and to understand the context and contributing factors surrounding their perinatal suicide attempt. Methods: Through iterative feedback from a group of women with lived experience of perinatal mental illness and relevant stakeholders, a qualitative study design was developed. We recruited women and birthing people (N = 11) in the UK who self-reported as having undertaken a suicide attempt. Interviews were conducted virtually, recorded and transcribed. Using NVivo software, a critical realist approach to Thematic Analysis was followed, and themes were developed. Results: Three key themes were identified that contributed to the perinatal suicide attempt. The first theme 'Trauma and Adversities' captures the traumatic events and life adversities with which participants started their pregnancy journeys. The second theme, 'Disillusionment with Motherhood' brings together a range of sub-themes highlighting various challenges related to pregnancy, birth and motherhood resulting in a decline in women's mental health. The third theme, 'Entrapment and Despair', presents a range of factors that leads to a significant deterioration of women's mental health, marked by feelings of failure, hopelessness and losing control. Conclusions: Feelings of entrapment and despair in women who are struggling with motherhood, alongside a background of traumatic events and life adversities may indicate warning signs of a perinatal suicide. Meaningful enquiry around these factors could lead to timely detection, thus improving care and potentially prevent future maternal suicides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]