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Healthcare
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Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health
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Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Women's Health Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 5241

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Dagla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Midwifery, School of Health & Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 122 43 Egaleo, Greece
Interests: postpartum midwifery care; neonatal care; breastfeeding; bioethics; parents’ support in NICUs; parent-infant bonding; perinatal mental health; antenatal classes; fathers’ role in perinatal period
Dr. Ewa Andersson

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
Interests: midwifery; midwifery education; community health; prenatal care; mental health; fathers' support
Dr. Maria Iliadou

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Midwifery, School of Health & Care Sciences, University of West Attica, 122 43 Egaleo, Greece
Interests: breastfeeding; antenatal education; neonatal care; midwifery care; perinatal mental health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Midwifery care has an essential contribution to high-quality maternal and newborn services. To ensure high-quality and safe care of reproduction and early life, especially for expectant and new parents during the perinatal period, midwives engage in a variety of healthcare interventions every day taking decisions based on their knowledge, clinical expertise, and professional judgment. According to research, midwife-led care models promote maternal and newborn infant health and are linked to advantages such as a rise in spontaneous vaginal deliveries, a decrease in the need for instrumental births, a rise in breastfeeding rates, etc.

In order to further develop new midwifery care approaches in clinical settings and communities, directed by research outcomes, and reinforce the midwifery care quality worldwide, this Special Issue of Healthcare aims to emphasize the a) assessment of existing midwifery-led models and compare them with new ones, b) measurement of the effectiveness of midwifery-interventions for timely prevention or management of complications in reproductive period, c) assessment of women and partners’ needs, experiences and satisfaction from midwifery practice, d) research of best midwifery practices that enhance the understanding of the interaction between mother’s psychosocial/physical health and newborn/infant’s health, e) highlight of recent advances and challenges in the provision of midwifery care.

We look forward to receiving your contributions on the above topics.

Dr. Maria Dagla
Dr. Ewa Andersson
Dr. Maria Iliadou
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • midwifery care
  • midwifery education
  • childbirth experience
  • antenatal care
  • postpartum/postnatal care
  • breastfeeding
  • perinatal mental health
  • mother-infant bonding/attachment
  • preterm birth/preterm infant
  • motherhood/parenthood
  • bioethics

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 466 KiB  
Article
Perinatal Outcomes and Level of Labour Difficulty in Deliveries with Right and Left Foetal Position—A Preliminary Study
by Magdalena Witkiewicz, Barbara Baranowska, Maria Węgrzynowska, Iwona Kiersnowska, Katarzyna Karzel, Grażyna Bączek, Dorota Sys, Anna Scholz, Susan Crowther, Justyna Teliga-Czajkowska and Urszula Tataj-Puzyna
Healthcare 2024, 12(8), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12080864 - 22 Apr 2024
Viewed by 233
Abstract
Background: Many studies have shown the negative influence of the foetus’s occiput posterior position during birth on the final perinatal outcome. This study aims to add to the discussion on the impact of foetus positioning on the course of labour and subjective assessment [...] Read more.
Background: Many studies have shown the negative influence of the foetus’s occiput posterior position during birth on the final perinatal outcome. This study aims to add to the discussion on the impact of foetus positioning on the course of labour and subjective assessment of the level of labour difficulty. Methods: The cross-sectional study took place from February 2020 to September 2021, and consisted of filling out observation forms and the assessment by the midwives and women of the level of labour difficulty. This study is based on the observation of 152 labours in low-risk women. Findings: When compared to left foetal positioning, labours in which the foetus was in the right position were longer and more frequently failed to progress (in 11.3% vs. 37.5%), and epidural was more frequently administrated (in 30.4% vs. 52.7%). Both women and midwives subjectively evaluated deliveries with a foetus in the right position as more difficult. Conclusions: The right positioning of the foetus was related to greater labour difficulty and worse perinatal outcomes. The position of the foetus’ head in relation to the pelvis should be considered as an indicator of the difficulty of labour and a support plan for the woman should be offered accordingly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health)
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10 pages, 258 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Mode of Delivery and Postpartum Conditions on Breastfeeding: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Anita Hulman, Annamária Pakai, Tímea Csákvári, Viola Keczeli and Katalin Varga
Healthcare 2024, 12(2), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12020248 - 18 Jan 2024
Viewed by 871
Abstract
Breast milk is the optimal and essential source of nutrients for babies. Many women, however, do not breastfeed or stop early after giving birth, often due to lack of support. For newborns delivered by caesarean section, there is often a delay, or no [...] Read more.
Breast milk is the optimal and essential source of nutrients for babies. Many women, however, do not breastfeed or stop early after giving birth, often due to lack of support. For newborns delivered by caesarean section, there is often a delay, or no skin-to-skin contact after birth; thus, early breastfeeding is not achieved. Separation, complementary feeding or pacifier use also limits the mother’s ability to breastfeed. A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted. Sociodemographic data, the mode of delivery and postpartum circumstances, information on breastfeeding, and the method and duration of feeding were collected (n = 2008). Two-thirds of children born by caesarean section did not have skin-to-skin contact after birth (p < 0.001). Lack of rooming-in placement increased the incidence of more frequent complementary feeding (p < 0.001) and shortened the duration of exclusive breastfeeding (p < 0.001). The duration of breastfeeding may also be negatively affected by scheduled feeding (p = 0.007) and pacifier utilization (p < 0.001). The mode of delivery and postpartum circumstances directly affecting the mother and the newborn can affect the feasibility of breastfeeding and the duration of exclusive and partial breastfeeding. For positive breastfeeding outcomes, skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, rooming-in and unrestricted, demand breastfeeding, as well as the avoidance of the use of pacifiers, are recommended. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health)
16 pages, 825 KiB  
Article
Differences in Changes in Game Usage Time and Game Use-Related Factors Depending on Parity in a Prospective Study of Pregnant Women in Japan
by Hiroko Sato and Toshiyuki Yasui
Healthcare 2023, 11(23), 3017; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11233017 - 22 Nov 2023
Viewed by 639
Abstract
Game usage has recently been increasing, but the actual situation of game usage and issues among pregnant women are not clarified. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to examine changes in game usage, lifestyle, and thoughts about game usage during pregnancy [...] Read more.
Game usage has recently been increasing, but the actual situation of game usage and issues among pregnant women are not clarified. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to examine changes in game usage, lifestyle, and thoughts about game usage during pregnancy depending on parity and to clarify the characteristics of pregnant women who continue to use games. We conducted three web surveys in early, mid- and late pregnancy in 238 pregnant women. For primiparous women who continued to use games, there was a significant increase in game usage time from early to late pregnancy (p = 0.022), and 25.0% of those women had anxiety that they might have a game addiction. For primiparous women in mid-pregnancy and multiparous women in early and late pregnancy, the proportions of women who thought that they could not use gaming sufficiently due to pregnancy and child-rearing were significantly higher in women who continued to use games. In both primiparous women and multiparous women, the proportion of partners who used games was significantly higher in women who continued to use games. It is necessary for midwives to discuss with pregnant women and their partners about game usage and to provide advice about control of game usage in daily life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health)
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12 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
The Relation between Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after Cesarean Section
by Eirini Orovou, Panagiotis Eskitzis, Irina Mrvoljak-Theodoropoulou, Maria Tzitiridou-Hatzopoulou, Maria Dagla, Christiana Arampatzi, Maria Iliadou and Evangelia Antoniou
Healthcare 2023, 11(13), 1877; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11131877 - 28 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1063
Abstract
Background: The experience of a neonate hospitalized in the NICU is an understandably traumatic experience for parents, especially for the mothers of neonates. This mental distress resulting from preterm birth and/or NICU hospitalization can be understood as post-traumatic symptomatology, according to the Diagnostic [...] Read more.
Background: The experience of a neonate hospitalized in the NICU is an understandably traumatic experience for parents, especially for the mothers of neonates. This mental distress resulting from preterm birth and/or NICU hospitalization can be understood as post-traumatic symptomatology, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 version). The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the admission of a neonate to the NICU (forany reason) on the development of postpartum PTSD in a sample of women after cesarean section.Methods: A total of 469 women who gave birth with cesarean section from July 2019 to June 2020 participated in this study out of the original sample of 490 women who consented to participate. Data were obtained from the researcher’s socio-demographic questionnaire and the post-traumatic stress checklist (PCL-5) from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DCM-5 version. Results: In total,11.7% of the sample experienced postpartum PTSD. There is a strong relationship between the inclusion of a neonate to the NICU due to perinatal stress, breathing difficulties, infections, and IUGR with postpartum PTSD (37.7%) in relation to the perinatal stress Criterion A (fear for the life of the neonate), the first criterion of postpartum PTSD. Conclusions: Additional measures must be taken for mothers of children who have been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with psychological support interventions and a reassessment of their mental state. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health)
14 pages, 1021 KiB  
Article
“Breastfeeding at Night Is Awesome” Mothers’ Intentions of Continuation of Breastfeeding Extreme and Very Preterm Babies upon Discharge from a Kangaroo Mother Care Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in South Africa
by Sphiwe Madiba, Perpetua Modjadji and Busisiwe Ntuli
Healthcare 2023, 11(7), 1048; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11071048 - 06 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1637
Abstract
Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is effective in increasing mothers’ initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding (BF) for extreme and very preterm (VLBW) infants. Although South Africa has implemented KMC for more than two decades, little is known about mothers’ perspectives on KMC. The purpose [...] Read more.
Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is effective in increasing mothers’ initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding (BF) for extreme and very preterm (VLBW) infants. Although South Africa has implemented KMC for more than two decades, little is known about mothers’ perspectives on KMC. The purpose of this study was to describe the BF intentions and practices of mothers of VLBW infants at home following discharge and assess the role long stay in KMC has on their decision to BF beyond discharge. This qualitative study was conducted at the KMC unit of a tertiary hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. Focus group interviews were conducted with 38 mothers of VLBW infants who had transitioned from neonatal intensive care (NICU) to KMC. We analysed transcripts following the five steps for qualitative thematic data analysis. Mothers were knowledgeable of the importance and value of BF preterm infants and conceded that breast milk has advantages over formula. Mothers had positive feelings toward BF their preterm infants. The stay in KMC increased the direct BF of their preterm infants, mothers’ BF efficacy, and had a positive influence on mothers’ intentions to continue BF following discharge and to exclusively breastfeed for six months. Their BF intentions, efficacy, and practices were influenced by the skilful BF counselling, training, and support they received from the nursing staff. High intention to BF among these mothers is suggestive of their knowledge and confidence in BF for their VLBW infants. It is important that nursing staff in NICU and KMC appreciate the significant role they play in mothers’ readiness and confidence to breastfeed beyond discharge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Midwifery Care: Improvement of Maternal and Newborn Health)
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