Exploring lived experiences of informal caregivers for pregnant women seeking scheduled antenatal care during the COVID-19 lockdown in China: A phenomenological study.

The study was done at a tertiary hospital in Chengdu, China, during the early COVID-19 lockdown, so experiences may not fit other countries, health systems, or later pandemic conditions. Only 15 unpaid family caregivers were interviewed, and all were husbands, mothers, or mothers-in-law; the findings may not apply to paid help, friends, or caregivers with less than eight hours of daily care. The caregiver was interviewed while the pregnant woman was in the room, which may have shaped what caregivers said, although those who seemed uncomfortable talking freely were excluded. This is a qualitative study, so it reports themes and requests, not measured effects, and the suggested tele-medicine, reduced visits, and education strategies were not tested.

The authors declared no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work.

Do not treat the paper's suggestions about fewer physical prenatal visits, tele-medicine, online education, or community support as proven ways to reduce caregiver burden. The study only described caregivers' lived experiences and requests; it did not test those strategies.