Lived experiences of the partners of COVID-19 positive childbearing women: A qualitative study.
Antonella Nespoli, Sara Ornaghi, Sara Borrelli and 2 others
PMID 34353766WHAT IT FOUND
Fathers of COVID-positive women described being barred from birth as distressing, feeling guilt and loneliness, and missing first bonding.
They valued midwives' care and asked for testing, clear updates and family-centred maternity policies.
Key findings
01Fathers described confusion about the pandemic, and concerns about contagion that became guilt.
02Fathers described not being present at birth as a strong negative experience, and first contact with the newborn was mostly through phone screens.
03Fathers said offering COVID-19 tests to partners and other children would have improved the parental experience and relationship with the newborn.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and purposive, and all participants were male partners from a single hospital in Northern Italy, so it cannot be assumed to apply to other partners, family structures or settings. Partners' own infection status was not tested or known. The study reports lived experience, not measured clinical outcomes or effects of service changes. Bracketing was not implemented, and a midwifery lens was applied.
Declared interests
The project was self-funded and no conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that allowing birth companions, testing partners or proactive updates improves clinical outcomes. The study reports fathers' experiences and suggestions, not tested effects.