1. Examining Postpartum Maternal Well-Being and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study at Tertiary Care Centre, Central India.
- Author
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Dhakar, Jagmohan Singh, Singh, Richa, Singh, Priyanka, Jain, Sanjay, Thakur, Aditya, Agrawal, Ambika, Singh, Tej Pratap, Pachauri, Hariom, Dikshit, Ashish, and Bhaduaria, Anupama
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FETAL heart rate , *MATERNAL age , *NEONATOLOGY , *DURATION of pregnancy , *CESAREAN section - Abstract
Background: Ensuring quality healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth is critical for improving health outcomes for both mothers and their babies. The postpartum period, or puerperium, begins after the expulsion of the placenta and lasts until the mother's body has nearly returned to its pre-pregnant state, typically six to eight weeks. This period is marked by significant physical, emotional, and psychological changes as mothers adjust to their new roles while recovering from childbirth. Factors such as delivery type, maternal age, baby gender, birth weight, and clinical parameters like blood pressure and fetal heart rate can significantly impact postpartum outcomes. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing targeted interventions to enhance maternal and neonatal health outcomes. This study aims to examine postpartum maternal well-being and associated factors among women at a tertiary care center in Agra, UP, to identify significant associations between clinical factors and selected demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed. Total 140 pregnant women selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS software (version 23.0). Descriptive statistics, t-tests were utilized to summarize and analyze the data. Results: Among the 140 women, 46.4% were having their first child, 36.4% their second, 11.4% their third, and 5.7% had more than three children. A total of 67.9% had cesarean deliveries, while 32.1% had normal deliveries. The gender distribution of the babies was 45% male and 55% female. The mean age of mothers was 26.21 years, the mean baby weight was 2.6011 kg, and the average pregnancy period was 37.20 weeks. Significant associations were found between delivery type and pregnancy period (p = 0.091), baby gender and weight (p = 0.079), and infant life status with baby weight (p = 0.001), pregnancy period (p = 0.001), and fetal heart rate (p = 0.008). Conclusion: This study identifies significant factors influencing postpartum maternal wellbeing, suggesting the necessity for targeted and comprehensive postpartum care programs. The findings highlight the importance of monitoring and managing critical factors such as blood pressure, pregnancy duration, and fetal health to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2025