Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional observational descriptive study.
Ana Folch Ayora, Pablo Salas-Medina, Eladio Collado-Boira and 3 others
PMID 34405570WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women surveyed early in the pandemic reported fear: 95.2% had some fear, and 27.1% reported each specific fear: transplacental infection, loneliness during childbirth, and separation from the newborn after their own infection.
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Key findings
0195.2% of pregnant women reported some type of fear, and 27.1% reported each of these specific fears: transplacental infection, loneliness during childbirth, and separation from the newborn after their own infection.
0280.6% of feelings were classified as negative, with afraid (33.9%) and overwhelmed (25.9%) the most common individual feelings.
0359.7% considered changing child-rearing, and the most common reported changes were restriction of visits (76.5%) and reconsideration of breastfeeding (17.6%).
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 a small convenience online survey: 89 people followed the link, 27 started but did not complete all questions, and 62 were analysed. The questionnaire was ad hoc and was not validated before use. The study did not assess socioeconomic status, education level, or whether loved ones had disease. It did not take account of whether participants had been infected with COVID-19. Because there was no pre-pandemic comparison group, it cannot show that the pandemic caused the fear. The paper is descriptive, so it cannot show that any nursing intervention reduced fear or improved outcomes.
Declared interests
No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 95.2% fear rate as proof that the pandemic caused fear or that nursing interventions will reduce it. The study asked women once, did not compare them with women before the pandemic, and did not test any intervention.