Mothers' and Midwives' Experiences of Maternal and Child Health Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Banggai, Indonesia: A Qualitative Study.
Andi Imam Arundhana Thahir, Sudirman Nasir, Andrew J Holmes and 2 others
PMID 37114096WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers and midwives described maternal and child health services moving from village posts to health centres, with shorter hours, missed immunisations and supplements, and fear and cost keeping mothers away.
Key findings
01Routine maternal and child health services were relocated from Posyandu posts to Puskesmas, and home visits were initiated in some areas.
02Mothers reported barriers to accessing services, including distance, shortened hours, absence of midwives, and lack of family support.
03More than half of the mothers said they or their family heads quit work or were laid off because of the pandemic.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Snowball sampling was used, so the participants' experiences may not represent the whole population in the area. The study was done in one regency in Indonesia and included only 27 participants, so the themes may not apply to other health systems. The study reports experiences and perceptions, not clinical outcomes, so it cannot show whether service changes helped or harmed mothers or children. Only six midwives were interviewed, and some were not from the area where they worked, which may limit how well provider experiences represent all midwives.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata notes non-U.S. government research support, but the article text does not state who funded the work or declare conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the WhatsApp counselling described by one midwife as evidence that online maternal health support works. The study reports experiences and perceptions, not outcomes or a comparison, so it cannot show that this method improved access or health.