Understanding the pregnant women's experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Macao: A qualitative study.
Xin Wang, Ming Liu, Ka Ian Ho and 1 others
PMID 35721399WHAT IT FOUND
Pregnant women in Macao described fear of infecting their fetus, financial strain, changed antenatal visits, and compulsive hygiene.
They described government support and clear public-health measures as important to their coping, but maternity nurses should watch for distress and information overload.
Key findings
01All 18 participants reported changing daily life patterns during the early outbreak, including lifestyle, work, social life and family finances.
02Thirteen participants tried to avoid potential infection risk and were anxious much of the time, mainly because they feared transmitting coronavirus to their fetus or baby.
03Nine participants reported changing routine pregnancy follow-up visits, with telephone follow-up, virtual antenatal education and reduced visitor numbers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Eighteen women from Macao, recruited through social platforms and snowball sampling, may not represent all pregnant women. Women with pregnancy complications or serious mental health problems were excluded, so medically complex or very distressed patients are missing. Telephone interviews meant researchers could not see facial expressions or other non-verbal cues. Interviews happened six to ten months after the first wave, so memories may be biased. The study describes experiences and cannot show that any government measure, support, or virtual care caused less distress or better outcomes.
Declared interests
Funded by the Higher Education Fund of the Macao SAR Government. The funder had no role in design, data collection or analysis. The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the participants' reports that government support and virtual antenatal care helped them as proof that these services reduce anxiety or improve pregnancy outcomes. The study describes 18 women's experiences and cannot show whether any service caused a benefit.