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Quality of care at childbirth: Findings of IMA gi NE EURO in Italy during the first year of the COVID ‐19 pandemic
Author(s) -
Lazzerini Marzia,
Covi Benedetta,
Mariani Ilaria,
Giusti Angela,
Pessa Valente Emanuelle
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1002/ijgo.14119
Subject(s) - medicine , childbirth , breastfeeding , demography , pandemic , multivariate analysis , covid-19 , family medicine , pediatrics , pregnancy , genetics , disease , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , biology
Objective Investigate the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during childbirth in the first year of COVID‐19 pandemic in Italy, from the mothers' perspective, as key service users. Methods Women who gave birth in an Italian facility from March 1, 2020 to February 29, 2021 answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO Standard‐based Quality Measures. Descriptive and multivariate quantile regression analyses were performed. Results In total, 4824 women were included, reporting heterogeneity of practices across regions: among 3981 women who underwent labour 78.4% (63.0%–92.0%) were not allowed a companion of choice, 44.6% (28.9%–53.3%) had difficulties in attending routine antenatal visits, 36.3% (24.9%–61.1%) reported inadequate breastfeeding support, 39.2% (23.3%–62.2%) felt not involved in medical choices, 33.0% (23.9%–49.3%) experienced unclear communication from staff, 24.8% (15.9%–39.4%) were not always treated with dignity and 12.7% (10.1%–29.3%) reported abuses. Findings in the group of women who did not experience labour were substantially similar. Multivariate analyses confirmed a significant lower QMNC index for regions in southern Italy compared to North and Central regions. Conclusion Mothers reported substantial inequities in the QMNC across Italian regions. Future studies should monitor QMNC over time. Meanwhile, actions to ensure high QMNC for all mothers and newborns across Italy are urgently required.