Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic
Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in rapid changes to the delivery of maternal and newborn care. Our aim was to gain an understanding from parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) of how the pandemic and associated public health restrictions impacted the peripartum and postpartum experien...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2024-01-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/1/e079479.full |
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| author | Anna R Gagliardi Andrea N Simpson Nancy N Baxter Douglas Campbell Anne Sorvari Himani Boury Eliane M Shore Tali Bogler |
| author_facet | Anna R Gagliardi Andrea N Simpson Nancy N Baxter Douglas Campbell Anne Sorvari Himani Boury Eliane M Shore Tali Bogler |
| author_sort | Anna R Gagliardi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in rapid changes to the delivery of maternal and newborn care. Our aim was to gain an understanding from parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) of how the pandemic and associated public health restrictions impacted the peripartum and postpartum experience, as well as longer-term health and well-being of families.Design Qualitative study through focus groups.Setting Ontario, Canada.Participants HCPs and parents who had a child born during the COVID-19 pandemic.Interventions Semistructured interview guide, with questions focused on how the pandemic impacted their care/their ability to provide care, and strategies to improve care and support now or in future situations with similar healthcare restrictions.Outcome measures Thematic analysis was used to describe participant experiences and recommendations.Results We included 11 HCPs and 15 parents in 6 focus groups. Participants described their experiences as ‘traumatic’, with difficulties in accessing prenatal and postpartum services, and feelings of distress and isolation. They also noted delays in speech and development in children born during the pandemic. Key recommendations included the provision of partner accompaniment throughout the course of care, expansion of available services for young families (particularly postpartum), and special considerations for marginalised groups, including access to technology for virtual care or the option of in-person visits.Conclusions Our findings may inform the development of healthcare system and organisational policies to ensure the provision of maternal and newborn care in the event of future public health emergencies. Of primary importance to the participants was the accommodation of antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum partner accompaniment, and the provision of postpartum services. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1e053cbc97f34bc38f14aba2feee9d08 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-1e053cbc97f34bc38f14aba2feee9d082025-08-20T02:13:31ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552024-01-0114110.1136/bmjopen-2023-079479Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemicAnna R Gagliardi0Andrea N Simpson1Nancy N Baxter2Douglas Campbell3Anne Sorvari4Himani Boury5Eliane M Shore6Tali Bogler7Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, St. Michael`s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaMelbourne School of Population and Global Health, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaSt. Michael`s Hospital/Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaSt. Michael`s Hospital/Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaToronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaSt. Michael`s Hospital/Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaObjectives The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in rapid changes to the delivery of maternal and newborn care. Our aim was to gain an understanding from parents and healthcare professionals (HCPs) of how the pandemic and associated public health restrictions impacted the peripartum and postpartum experience, as well as longer-term health and well-being of families.Design Qualitative study through focus groups.Setting Ontario, Canada.Participants HCPs and parents who had a child born during the COVID-19 pandemic.Interventions Semistructured interview guide, with questions focused on how the pandemic impacted their care/their ability to provide care, and strategies to improve care and support now or in future situations with similar healthcare restrictions.Outcome measures Thematic analysis was used to describe participant experiences and recommendations.Results We included 11 HCPs and 15 parents in 6 focus groups. Participants described their experiences as ‘traumatic’, with difficulties in accessing prenatal and postpartum services, and feelings of distress and isolation. They also noted delays in speech and development in children born during the pandemic. Key recommendations included the provision of partner accompaniment throughout the course of care, expansion of available services for young families (particularly postpartum), and special considerations for marginalised groups, including access to technology for virtual care or the option of in-person visits.Conclusions Our findings may inform the development of healthcare system and organisational policies to ensure the provision of maternal and newborn care in the event of future public health emergencies. Of primary importance to the participants was the accommodation of antenatal, intrapartum and postpartum partner accompaniment, and the provision of postpartum services.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/1/e079479.full |
| spellingShingle | Anna R Gagliardi Andrea N Simpson Nancy N Baxter Douglas Campbell Anne Sorvari Himani Boury Eliane M Shore Tali Bogler Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic BMJ Open |
| title | Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness: insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | strategies to support maternal and early childhood wellness insight from parent and provider qualitative interviews during the covid 19 pandemic |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/14/1/e079479.full |
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