Stigma, guilt and motherhood: Experiences of pregnant women with COVID-19 in Brazil.
Juliana Vasconcellos Freitas-Jesus, Odette Del Risco Sánchez, Larissa Rodrigues and 3 others
PMID 34493479WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women with COVID-19 described fear, guilt, stigma, and denial, worsened by isolation.
They said daily calls, ultrasound reassurance, and small nurse gestures helped them feel safe.
Key findings
01After diagnosis, women described fear, despair, denial, guilt, and feeling excluded or stigmatised by community and family.
02Women reported that daily telephone contact, ultrasound reassurance, and simple gestures by health workers during isolation helped them feel secure.
03Home isolation and hospital companion restrictions caused loneliness, family distress, and pressure to hide how unwell they felt.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study describes experiences from 22 women at one hospital in Brazil during the first wave of the pandemic. The sample was purposive and reached saturation, so it does not show how common these feelings are. Interviews were conducted by telephone after symptoms resolved, which may have affected rapport and recall. Women who were illiterate, unwilling to be audio recorded, or affected by psychiatric or neurological conditions were excluded. The paper cannot show that phone calls, ultrasound, or nurse gestures improved maternal or fetal outcomes.
Declared interests
CAPES/Brazil funded the study with government PhD scholarships. The sponsor had no influence on design, data collection, analysis, writing, or submission. Authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reassurance from phone calls, ultrasound, or nurse gestures as proof that these actions improve maternal or fetal outcomes. The study reported 22 women's experiences without a comparison group or measured clinical effect.