Are underprivileged and less empowered women deprived of respectful maternity care: Inequities in childbirth experiences in public health facilities in Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Attainment of healthcare in respectful and dignified manner is a fundamental right for every woman regardless of the individual status. However, social exclusion, poor psychosocial support, and demeaning care during childbirth at health facilities are common worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. We concurrently examined how women with varying socio-demographic characteristics are treated during childbirth, the effect of women's empowerment on mistreatment, and health services factors that contribute to mistreatment in secondary-level public health facilities in Pakistan. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted during August-November 2016 among 783 women who gave birth in six secondary-care public health facilities across four contiguous districts of southern Sindh. Women were recruited in health facilities and later interviewed at home within 42 days of postpartum using a WHO's framework-guided 43-item structured questionnaire. Means, standard deviation, and average were used to describe characteristics of the participants. Multivariable linear regression was applied using Stata 15.1. RESULTS: Women experiencing at least one violation of their right to care by hospital staff during intrapartum care included: ineffective communication (100%); lack of supportive care (99.7%); loss of autonomy (97.5%); failure of meeting professional clinical standards (84.4%); lack of resources (76.3%); verbal abuse (15.2%); physical abuse (14.8%); and discrimination (3.2%). Risk factors of all three dimensions showed significant association with mistreatment: socio-demographic: primigravida and poorer were more mistreated; health services: lesser-education on birth preparedness and postnatal care leads to higher mistreatment; and in terms of women's empowerment: women who were emotionally and physically abused by family, and those with lack of social support and lesser involvement in joint household decision making with husbands are more likely to be mistreated as compared to their counterparts. The magnitude of relationship between all significant risk factors and mistreatment, in the form of ß coefficients, ranged from 0.2 to 5.5 with p-values less than 0.05. CONCLUSION: There are glaring inequalities in terms of the way women are treated during childbirth in public health facilities. Measures of socio-demographic, health services, and women's empowerment showed a significant independent association with mistreatment during childbirth. At the health system level, there is a need for urgent solutions for more inclusive care to ensure that all women are treated with compassion and dignity, complemented by psychosocial support for those who are emotionally disturbed and lack social support.

Quality of measures on respectful and disrespectful maternity care: A systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to critique the process of development and psychometric properties of tools measuring respectful or disrespectful maternity care experienced by women during labor and birth in low- and middle-income countries. The MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library electronic databases were systematically searched from their inception to February 2020. Methodological quality was assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments checklist. Six tools measuring respectful maternity care during the intrapartum period were identified. Measurement error, cross-cultural validity, and responsiveness were not evaluated by any tool developers, while structural validity, internal consistency, and hypothesis testing were the most frequently assessed measurement properties. Interestingly, this review could not identify any measures of disrespectful care even though most included measures focused on disrespect and abuse. No measure was of sufficient quality to determine women's experiences of disrespectful and respectful maternity care in low- and middle-income countries. New valid and reliable measures using rigorous approaches to tool development are required.

Association between the nationality of nurses and safety culture in maternity units of Oman.

BACKGROUND: Patient safety culture/climate in maternity units has been linked to better safety outcomes. Nurses have a crucial role in patient safety and represent the majority of staff in maternity units. In many countries, nurses are recruited from abroad, bringing their own perceptions of patient safety culture. Nonetheless, little is known about the relationship between perceptions of patient safety culture and nurses' nationality. Understanding this relationship will assist stakeholders in designing a responsive programme to improve patient safety culture. AIMS: To investigate the association between nurses' nationality and their perceptions about patient safety culture in maternity units in Ministry of Health hospitals in Oman. METHODS: In 2017, the Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) was distributed to all staff (892 distributed, 735 returned) in 10 maternity units. RESULTS: About three-quarters (74%, 541/735) of the returned SAQs were completed by nurses, of whom 34% were non-Omani, 21.8% were Omani and 44.7% did not report their nationality (missing). Overall, the mean safety score for non-Omani nurses was significantly higher than for the Omani nurses: 3.9 (SD 1.3) vs 3.6 (SD 1.2) (P < 0.001). The mean safety score for stress recognition was significantly lower for non-Omani nurses: 2.8 (SD 1.5) vs 3.2 (SD 1.3) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Non-Omani nurses have a more positive perception of patient safety culture than Omani nurses except in respect of stress recognition. Decision-makers, directors, and clinicians should consider these differences when designing interventions to improve patient safety culture.

Maternity Nurses' Knowledge about Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse and Safe Newborn Positioning.

PURPOSE: Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse (SUPC) of healthy newborns in the first 2 days of life is increasing. These types of adverse events are known to be associated with unsafe positioning during skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. The purpose of the study was to determine maternity nurses' knowledge about SUPC and safe newborn positioning. DESIGN: Nurses who participate in a hosted listserv were solicited to complete a questionnaire. METHODS: An email with an embedded link to a 20-item questionnaire, the SUPC and Safe Positioning Knowledge Assessment Tool, and 16 demographic questions was sent to 605 maternity nurses in the United States who are part of a Perinatal Listserv for members of the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Scores were analyzed by mean, standard deviation, and percent correct answers. RESULTS: Fifty questionnaires were initiated (response rate of 8.2%), and 36 completed questionnaires (response rate of 5.9%) were analyzed. Maternity nurses' knowledge of SUPC was less than their knowledge of safe newborn positioning (61% correct vs. 72% correct; p < 0.001). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Maternity nurses need more information about SUPC and safe newborn positioning, including risk factors, and effective strategies to reduce risk of preventable newborn harm.

Investigating pathways linking women's status and empowerment to skilled attendance at birth in Tanzania: A structural equation modeling approach.

Maternal and newborn mortality remain unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa where use of a skilled birth attendant (SBA) at delivery has remained low. Despite the recognized importance of women's empowerment as a key determinant of maternal and newborn health, evidence from sub-Saharan Africa is more limited. Using data from the 2010 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (n = 4,340), this study employs a robust method-structural equation modeling (SEM)-to investigate the complex and multidimensional pathways through which women's empowerment affects SBA use. The results show that women's education and household decision-making are positively associated with SBA use. However, not all empowerment dimensions have similar effects. Attitudes towards sex negotiation and violence as well as early marriage are not significant factors in Tanzania. Mediation analysis also confirms the indirect effect of education on SBA use only through household decision-making. The findings underscore the utility of structural equation modeling when examining complex and multidimensional constructs, such as empowerment, and demonstrate potential causal inference to better inform policy and programmatic recommendations.

A validation study of the Australian Maternity Care Classification System.

BACKGROUND: The Maternity Care Classification System is a novel system developed in Australia to classify models of maternity care based on their characteristics. It will enable large-scale evaluations of maternal and perinatal outcomes under different models of care independently of the model's name. AIM: To assess the accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility of the Maternity Care Classification System. METHOD: All 70 public maternity services in New South Wales, Australia, were invited to classify three randomly allocated model case-studies using a web-based survey tool and repeat their classifications 4-6 weeks later. Accuracy of classifications was assessed against the correct values for the case-studies; repeatability (intra-rater reliability) was analysed by percent agreement and McNemar's test between the same participants in both surveys; and reproducibility (inter-rater reliability) was assessed by percent agreement amongst raters of the same case-study combined with Krippendorff's alpha coefficient for a subset of characteristics. RESULTS: The accuracy of the Maternity Care Classification System was high with 90.8% of responses correctly classified; was repeatable, with no statistically significant change in the responses between the two survey instances (mean agreement 91.5%, p>0.05 for all but one variable); and was reproducible with a mean percent agreement across 9 characteristics of 83.6% and moderate to substantial agreement as assessed by a Krippendorff's alpha coefficient of 0.4-0.8. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the Maternity Care Classification System is a valid system for classifying models of care in Australia, and will enable the legitimate evaluation of outcomes by different models of care.

Maternal and child health nurses work with refugee families: Perspectives from regional Victoria, Australia.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore service provision for Victorian regional refugee families from the perspective of maternal and child health nurses. BACKGROUND: Increasingly, more families from a refugee background are resettling in regional Victoria. The refugee journey has significant effect on families. Refugee families with infants and young children can be provided with support by maternal and child health services; however, many families experience barriers to ongoing engagement with this service. DESIGN: This descriptive study used focus group and questionnaire. A purposive sample of 26 maternal and child health nurses was drawn from six municipalities throughout regional Victoria, where higher numbers of people from a refugee background resettle. Six focus groups were held in 2014. Audio-recorded narratives were transcribed, prior to inductive thematic analysis. METHODS: This descriptive study used focus group and questionnaire. A purposive sample of 26 Maternal and Child Health nurses was drawn from six municipalities throughout regional Victoria where higher numbers of people from a refugee background resettle. Six focus groups were held in 2014. Audio-recorded narratives were transcribed verbatim, prior to inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Participating nurses were experienced nurses, averaging 12 years in the service. Four major themes emerged from thematic analysis: "How to identify women from a refugee background"; "The Maternal and Child Health nurse role when working with families from a refugee background"; "Interpreting issues"; and "Access to other referral agencies." Nurses worked to develop a relationship with families, attending to a complex mix of issues which were complicated by language barriers. Nurses found their role in supporting refugee families required additional time and more home visits. CONCLUSIONS: To provide best practice, maternal and child health nurses need (i) ongoing professional development; (ii) time, flexibility and creativity to build relationships with refugee families and (iii) better access to services that enhance communication, such as interpreting services and translated resources. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Nurses require ongoing professional development to help them address the multifaceted needs of families of refugee background. With limited resources available in regional areas, accessing further education can be challenging. Distance education models and organisational support could provide nurses with educational opportunities aimed at improving service provision and clinical practice.

La especialidad de enfermería pediátrica / No disponible

No disponible

Prevalencia de la Lactancia Materna en Huelva, duración y factores relacionados / Prevalence of Breastfeeding in Huelva, duration and related factors

Objetivos: Conocer la prevalencia y duración de la Lactancia Materna (LM), así como la relación con las variables sociodemográficas, obstétricas y de educación materno infantil. Diseño: Estudio observacional descriptivo. Emplazamiento: siete centros de salud de Huelva capital. Participantes: 268 mujeres con niños de 1 a 2 años. La selección se hizo consecutiva, por orden de llegada. Mediciones principales: prevalencia y duración de LM, características sociodemográficas, características perinatales y alimentación complementaria. Resultados: Iniciaron la LM exclusiva un 52,9 % (IC:46,99-58,91). A los seis meses permanecen un 19,7% (IC:15,33-24,87). Un 63,4% (IC:57,54-69,04) comienzan lactancia materna total (exclusiva o mixta), un 47,7% (IC:41,82-53,75) continúa con ella a los 3 meses y un 26,1% (IC:21,12-31,63) a los 6 meses. La LM está relacionada con: la formación académica de la madre, el número de hijos, asistir a los talleres de preparación al parto, número de sesiones, nivel de satisfacción con respecto a la educación materno infantil, haber solicitado ayuda sobre LM, conocer el grupo de apoyo a la lactancia y haber asistido al mismo. Conclusiones: La prevalencia de LM es baja con respecto a lo esperado por los datos nacionales, la duración de la misma se aparta de las recomendaciones de la OMS y el nivel educativo de la madre favorece la prevalencia y duración de la LM. Los profesionales de la salud debemos continuar con su promoción y apoyo (AU)

Objective: To know the prevalence and duration of the breastfeeding, as well as the relation with the sociodemographic, obstetric and child and maternal education factors. Design: descriptive observational study. Site: seven health centers of Huelva city. Participants: 268 mothers of 1-2 y.o. children. The selection was made straight, in order of arrival. Main measurements: prevalence and duration of the breastfeeding, sociodemographic characteristics, perinatal characteristics and complementary feeding. Results: The 52,9 % (CI:46,99-58,91) of the sample initiated the exclusive breastfeeding. Six months later remained the 19,7 % (CI:15,33-24,87). The 63,4% (CI:57,54-69,04) initiated the total breastfeeding, 47,7% (CI:41,82-53,75) continue with it 3 months later and the 26,1% (CI:21,12-31,63) 6 months later. The breastfeeding is related with: the academic education of the mother, the number of children, to attend the workshops childbirth preparation, number of sessions, level of satisfaction with maternal and child education, to have requested assistance on reastfeeding, to know the breastfeeding support group and to have atended to it. Conclusions: The prevalence of the breastfeeding is less concerning than expected by the national data, the length of it is far from the recommendations of the WHO and the educational level of the mother, favors the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding. Health professionals must continue with their promotion and support (AU)

Customer's self-audit to improve the technical quality of maternity care in Tabriz: a community trial.

Pregnant women have a major role to play in assessing and improving their own quality of care. This study in Tabriz, Islamic Republic of Iran, aimed to assess the effectiveness of an intervention for pregnant women-based on education and support groups and involvement in quality assessment activities-in order to improve the technical quality of public maternity care at public health centres. The intervention phase began in September 2011 and lasted 8 months. The outcome measure was health-care providers' degree of adherence to the Iranian maternity care standards. An intervention group of 92 pregnant women from 10 health centres was compared with a control group of 93 pregnant women from 11 centres. Logistic regression analysis showed that the self-assessed technical quality of maternity care received by the women was significantly better in the intervention that the control group for several of the standards concerning clinical examinations, maternal education and vitamin and mineral supplements.

Trends in Baby-Friendly® Care in the United States: Historical Influences on Contemporary Care.

The protection that breast-feeding affords both mother and infant against acute and chronic illness is well documented. The grassroots, public health, and governmental supports for breast-feeding have influenced changes in maternal and newborn care. History indicates that the additional influence has come in the form of governmental workshops and initiatives, professional organizations, as well as The Joint Commission. This includes the influence that the Baby-Friendly® Hospital Initiative and the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding have had on infant care throughout the years. The requirements that hospitals must follow to implement all, or some, of the Ten Steps lead to change in care that not only increases breast-feeding rates but also leads to health improvements. This article reviews how an upward trend in the adoption of Baby-Friendly practices to support breast-feeding impacts infant care.

The development of a classification system for maternity models of care.

BACKGROUND: A lack of standard terminology or means to identify and define models of maternity care in Australia has prevented accurate evaluations of outcomes for mothers and babies in different models of maternity care. OBJECTIVE: As part of the Commonwealth-funded National Maternity Data Development Project, a classification system was developed utilising a data set specification that defines characteristics of models of maternity care. METHOD: The Maternity Care Classification System or MaCCS was developed using a participatory action research design that built upon the published and grey literature. RESULTS: The study identified the characteristics that differentiate models of care and classifies models into eleven different Major Model Categories. CONCLUSION: The MaCCS will enable individual health services, local health districts (networks), jurisdictional and national health authorities to make better informed decisions for planning, policy development and delivery of maternity services in Australia.

A Comprehensive Initiative to Prevent Falls Among Newborns.

Our hospital experienced seven instances of newborns falling over a 7-month period. Until that time, there had been no reported newborn falls. We formed a committee to study the situation and make recommendations for change. Common factors observed were early morning hours and an exhausted parent, usually the mother, falling asleep while feeding the newborn. The committee developed a policy and procedure addressing falls among newborns, created staff education and tools, and posted signage in mothers' rooms. We also updated crib cards to include information about falls and safe sleep, and we revised newborn admission education for parents with additional information about falls. The incidence of newborns falling has decreased since we implemented these changes.

Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse of the Newborn.

Sudden unexpected postnatal collapse is a rare but devastating neonatal event. A well-appearing, full-term newborn with Agpar scores of eight or more suddenly crashes, often with full respiratory and cardiac arrest. Up to half of newborns with sudden unexpected postnatal collapse die, with many survivors suffering serious neurological damage. The first 2 hours of life are the hours of greatest risk, coinciding with the time frame when nurses encourage breastfeeding and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between women and newborns. Nursing assessments and measures to promote neonates' optimal transition to extrauterine life through skin-to-skin contact and early breastfeeding while decreasing the risk of this catastrophic event are described. Nursing surveillance to promote optimal transition in a safe environment is essential, and birth facilities should allocate staffing resources accordingly.

Nurses' Perspectives on the Process of Attaining Baby-Friendly Designation.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global initiative that aims to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. This study explores and describes the process of attaining Baby-Friendly designation from nurses' perspectives. A purposive sampling design was used to recruit registered nurse participants in a large, safety-net, tertiary care facility. Data were collected via semistructured interviews and were analyzed using descriptive interpretative analysis. The following themes were revealed: Resistance, Culture, Investment in the Journey, Teamwork, and Source of Pride. Results indicate that comfortable yet antiquated practices led to fear of change and resistance. Initial culture shock was mediated by a successful education model, powerful experiences, and positive outcomes.