TY - JOUR
T1 - Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, perspectives from a sample of the United States birthing persons during the first wave
T2 - March-June 2020
AU - Breman, Rachel Blankstein
AU - Neerland, Carrie
AU - Bradley, Dani
AU - Burgess, Adriane
AU - Barr, Erik
AU - Burcher, Paul
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals in the United States to adjust policy and procedure in order to provide safe care and prevent the spread of disease. At the beginning of the pandemic, media and case reports described pressure for medical interventions, visitor restrictions, separation from newborns, and an increase in patient demand for community birth (home and birth center). The purpose of this study was to describe birth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic centering the birthing person's perspective. Methods: A survey was e-mailed to users of the Ovia Pregnancy app reaching a national convenience sample who gave birth between March 1, 2020, and June 11, 2020. Survey topics included birth location, the Mothers on Respect index, and open-ended questions capturing patient perspectives on the pandemic's effect on their birth experiences. Differences were assessed based on state-level COVID rate and by race. Content analysis was performed to analyze open-ended responses. Results: Respondents from highly impacted COVID-19 states more frequently changed or considered changing their birth location. Racial differences were also found with Black respondents reporting significantly more preterm births and lower respect scores when compared to White respondents. Six themes emerged from the content analysis: Institutional Policies, Changes in Care, Hospital Staff Interactions, Sub-par Care, Issues of Support, and Mental Health. Discussion: The health care community must continue to adapt policies and procedures to best support birthing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The community must also continue to address the reality that Black patients receive less respectful care compared with White patients.
AB - Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals in the United States to adjust policy and procedure in order to provide safe care and prevent the spread of disease. At the beginning of the pandemic, media and case reports described pressure for medical interventions, visitor restrictions, separation from newborns, and an increase in patient demand for community birth (home and birth center). The purpose of this study was to describe birth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic centering the birthing person's perspective. Methods: A survey was e-mailed to users of the Ovia Pregnancy app reaching a national convenience sample who gave birth between March 1, 2020, and June 11, 2020. Survey topics included birth location, the Mothers on Respect index, and open-ended questions capturing patient perspectives on the pandemic's effect on their birth experiences. Differences were assessed based on state-level COVID rate and by race. Content analysis was performed to analyze open-ended responses. Results: Respondents from highly impacted COVID-19 states more frequently changed or considered changing their birth location. Racial differences were also found with Black respondents reporting significantly more preterm births and lower respect scores when compared to White respondents. Six themes emerged from the content analysis: Institutional Policies, Changes in Care, Hospital Staff Interactions, Sub-par Care, Issues of Support, and Mental Health. Discussion: The health care community must continue to adapt policies and procedures to best support birthing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The community must also continue to address the reality that Black patients receive less respectful care compared with White patients.
KW - COVID-19
KW - birth
KW - survey
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85107513647&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85107513647&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/birt.12559
DO - 10.1111/birt.12559
M3 - Article
C2 - 34114262
AN - SCOPUS:85107513647
SN - 0730-7659
VL - 48
SP - 524
EP - 533
JO - Birth
JF - Birth
IS - 4
ER -