COVID-Related Visitor Restrictions and Childbirth Experiences in One US Hospital.
Payton Sciarratta, Kelsey Rondini, Ghislaine Barry and 4 others
PMID 39325945WHAT IT FOUND
Birthing persons said one visitor made labor feel lonely and stressful, especially when the visitor could not leave to care for other children.
They valued a familiar support person for decision-making and said nurses provided extra emotional support.
Key findings
01Participants said the visitor restriction increased loneliness and practical strain, especially when the support person could not leave to care for other children.
02Participants said nurses often provided extra emotional support during the restrictions, including reassurance and attentive care.
03Participants reported poor, unclear, and inconsistent communication about the visitor policy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was done at one hospital, so the experiences may not match births in other places or settings. The final sample was 22 people, all with a prior US birth, so it does not describe first-time births or people without a previous US birth. Participants who tested positive for COVID-19 during birth were not included. No clinical outcomes were collected, so the study does not show how restrictions affected birth results. Participants were asked to recall previous births, which can be affected by memory. The themes were not verified by the participants.
Declared interests
The authors reported no financial or other conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that nurses can replace a personal support person because participants said nurses provided extra support. The study reports perceptions from 22 participants at one hospital and does not test whether staff support meets all needs.