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Women's perspectives on the quality of hospital maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina

Drandić, Daniela ; Drglin, Zalka ; Mihevc Ponikvar, Barbara ; Bohinec, Anja ; Ćerimagić, Amira ; Radetić, Jelena ; Ružičić, Jovana ; Kurbanović, Magdalena ; Covi, Benedetta and Valente, Emanuelle Pessa , et al. (2022) In International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 159(S1). p.54-69
Abstract

Objective: To assess the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) in countries of the former Yugoslavia. Method: Women giving birth in a facility in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina between March 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Results: A total of 4817 women were included in the analysis. Significant differences were observed across countries. Among those experiencing labor, 47.4%–62.3% of women perceived a reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 40.1%–69.7% experienced difficulties in accessing routine antenatal care, 60.3%–98.1% were not allowed a companion of choice, 17.4%–39.2% reported that health workers were not always using... (More)

Objective: To assess the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) in countries of the former Yugoslavia. Method: Women giving birth in a facility in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina between March 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Results: A total of 4817 women were included in the analysis. Significant differences were observed across countries. Among those experiencing labor, 47.4%–62.3% of women perceived a reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 40.1%–69.7% experienced difficulties in accessing routine antenatal care, 60.3%–98.1% were not allowed a companion of choice, 17.4%–39.2% reported that health workers were not always using personal protective equipment, and 21.2%–53.8% rated the number of health workers as insufficient. Episiotomy was performed in 30.9%–62.8% of spontaneous vaginal births. Additionally, 22.6%–55.9% of women received inadequate breastfeeding support, 21.5%–62.8% reported not being treated with dignity, 11.0%–30.5% suffered abuse, and 0.7%–26.5% made informal payments. Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences among countries, with Slovenia showing the highest QMNC index, followed by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia. Conclusion: Differences in QMNC among the countries of the former Yugoslavia during the COVID-19 pandemic were significant. Activities to promote high-quality, evidence-based, respectful care for all mothers and newborns are urgently needed. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847336.

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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bosnia-Herzegovina, childbirth, COVID-19, Croatia, IMAgiNE EURO, maternity, newborns, quality of care, Serbia, Slovenia
in
International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics
volume
159
issue
S1
pages
16 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:36530003
  • scopus:85144250359
ISSN
0020-7292
DOI
10.1002/ijgo.14457
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5c5c128a-d290-4aba-8fa4-8f0208f8429c
date added to LUP
2023-01-07 14:57:38
date last changed
2024-04-15 13:27:10
@article{5c5c128a-d290-4aba-8fa4-8f0208f8429c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: To assess the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) in countries of the former Yugoslavia. Method: Women giving birth in a facility in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina between March 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021 answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards-based quality measures. Results: A total of 4817 women were included in the analysis. Significant differences were observed across countries. Among those experiencing labor, 47.4%–62.3% of women perceived a reduction in QMNC due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 40.1%–69.7% experienced difficulties in accessing routine antenatal care, 60.3%–98.1% were not allowed a companion of choice, 17.4%–39.2% reported that health workers were not always using personal protective equipment, and 21.2%–53.8% rated the number of health workers as insufficient. Episiotomy was performed in 30.9%–62.8% of spontaneous vaginal births. Additionally, 22.6%–55.9% of women received inadequate breastfeeding support, 21.5%–62.8% reported not being treated with dignity, 11.0%–30.5% suffered abuse, and 0.7%–26.5% made informal payments. Multivariate analyses confirmed significant differences among countries, with Slovenia showing the highest QMNC index, followed by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Serbia. Conclusion: Differences in QMNC among the countries of the former Yugoslavia during the COVID-19 pandemic were significant. Activities to promote high-quality, evidence-based, respectful care for all mothers and newborns are urgently needed. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04847336.</p>}},
  author       = {{Drandić, Daniela and Drglin, Zalka and Mihevc Ponikvar, Barbara and Bohinec, Anja and Ćerimagić, Amira and Radetić, Jelena and Ružičić, Jovana and Kurbanović, Magdalena and Covi, Benedetta and Valente, Emanuelle Pessa and Mariani, Ilaria and Lazzerini, Marzia and Virginie, Rozée and de La Rochebrochard, Elise and Löfgren, Kristina and Miani, Céline and Batram-Zantvoort, Stephanie and Wandschneider, Lisa and Morano, Sandra and Chertok, Ilana and Hefer, Emek and Artzi-Medvedik, Rada and Pumpure, Elizabete and Rezeberga, Dace and Jansone-Šantare, Gita and Jakovicka, Dārta and Knoka, Anna Regīna and Vilcāne, Katrīna Paula and Liepinaitienė, Alina and Kondrakova, Andželika and Mizgaitienė, Marija and Juciūtė, Simona and Arendt, Maryse and Tasch, Barbara and Nedberg, Ingvild Hersoug and Kongslien, Sigrun and Vik, Eline Skirnisdottir and Baranowska, Barbara and Tataj-Puzyna, Urszula and Węgrzynowska, Maria and Santos, Teresa and Linden, Karolina and Zaigham, Mehreen and Mueller, Antonia N}},
  issn         = {{0020-7292}},
  keywords     = {{Bosnia-Herzegovina; childbirth; COVID-19; Croatia; IMAgiNE EURO; maternity; newborns; quality of care; Serbia; Slovenia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{S1}},
  pages        = {{54--69}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics}},
  title        = {{Women's perspectives on the quality of hospital maternal and newborn care around the time of childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic : Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study in Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.14457}},
  doi          = {{10.1002/ijgo.14457}},
  volume       = {{159}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}