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Observational Study
. 2022 Dec;159 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):54-69.
doi: 10.1002/ijgo.14457.

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

Daniela Drandić  1 , Zalka Drglin  2 , Barbara Mihevc Ponikvar  2 , Anja Bohinec  2 , Amira Ćerimagić  3 , Jelena Radetić  4 , Jovana Ružičić  4 , Magdalena Kurbanović  5 , Benedetta Covi  6 , Emanuelle Pessa Valente  6 , Ilaria Mariani  6 , Marzia Lazzerini  6 ; IMAgiNE EURO study group
Collaborators, Affiliations
Observational Study

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

Daniela Drandić et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 Dec.

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 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.

Keywords: Bosnia-Herzegovina; COVID-19; Croatia; IMAgiNE EURO; Serbia; Slovenia; childbirth; maternity; newborns; quality of care.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Study flow diagram. aForty quality measures and five key sociodemographic variables were considered as key variables.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
(a) Women who underwent spontaneous labor (b) Women with prelabor cesarean
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
(a) Women who underwent spontaneous labor (b) Women with prelabor cesarean
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
(a) Women who underwent spontaneous labor (b) Women with prelabor cesarean
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
(a) Women who underwent spontaneous labor (b) Women with prelabor cesarean
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) index
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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