Respectful Maternity Care as perceived by the Birth Companions of Women who gave birth in a Tertiary care Teaching Hospital in South India: A pilot study

Papa Dasari, Mahalashmi Thulasilingam, Jayagowri Shasthry and Jane Fischer
Additional contact information
Papa Dasari: Former Senior Professor, Dept of OBGY, JIPMER, Puducherry Currently, Professor, Dept. Of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Dean Research, SVMCHRC. Puducherry, INDIA.
Mahalashmi Thulasilingam: Additional Professor, Dept. of Preventive and Social Medicine, JIPMER, Puducherry, 605006, India.
Jayagowri Shasthry: Senior Research Fellow Global Health, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia
Jane Fischer: Finkel Professor of Global Health, Head, Division of Social Sciences, Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Australia.

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation, 2024, vol. 11, issue 11, 746-757

Abstract: Background: Continuous maternal support during labour and childbirth is one of the evidence based interventions that proved to be associated with good maternal and perinatal outcomes. It is also reported to increase maternal satisfaction and decrease the disrespect and abuse. But few studies report the occurrence of D&A even in presence of birth companion. Objective: To determine the proportion of women treated with Disrespect and Abuse and to identify the type of disrespect and abuse as perceived by the birth companions of women who gave birth at Women and Children Hospital. Methods: Prospective observational mixed method pilot study undertaken from September 2020-December 2020 as a part of the Project on Respectful Maternity Care. Thirty birth companions were recruited randomly after informed consent to participate soon after (72hrs) delivery of their ward (postpartum women). They were asked to fill the answers to USAID-MCHIP Questionnaire on RMC, Rate the Disrespect and abuse on a 10 point scale to measure D&A quantitatively. They were interviewed to tell their views on the care given during labour and postpartum period for qualitative analysis. Results: As per their observations, 43.3% opined that the women experienced at least one type of D&A, 13.3% opined women experience 2 types of D&A, 10% percent witnessed 3 types of D&A; 3.3% felt 5 types of D&A as per the USAID Standards. On rating scale they felt that D&A was experienced by only 20% and 3.3% experienced severe D&A. The most common type of D&A was non-dignified care followed by physical abuse. Qualitative analysis revealed 93% felt the women received quality care and had positive experience and appreciated RMC as good and 6.7% gave suggestions to improve RMC. Conclusion: RMC as witnessed by birth companions and assessed quantitatively by Questionnaire was high but on rating scale it is low. Only few felt, women in labour still experience D&A in their presence and the most common type was non-dignified care. The overall experience of childbirth care was perceived as good and they were grateful to have allowed them to give maternal support

Date: 2024
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/d ... issue-11/746-757.pdf (application/pdf)
https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijrsi/artic ... india-a-pilot-study/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bjc:journl:v:11:y:2024:i:11:p:746-757

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation is currently edited by Dr. Renu Malsaria

More articles in International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation from International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Dr. Renu Malsaria ().