TOPIC

Maternity research

Everything we have read on maternity. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

48 PAPERS · NEWEST FIRST

• RNOther2026Evaluating the Impact of Telehealth Prenatal Care at a Federally Qualified Health Center.Journal of midwifery & women's healthSpanish-speaking Latinx clients who chose telehealth group prenatal care had higher adequate prenatal care (67.9% vs 39.1%) and high satisfaction (4.85/5), but because they chose it, this does not prove the model caused better care.
• RNQualitative2026The Overwhelming Challenge of Losing One's Sense of Wholeness: A Grounded Theory Study on Women's Experiential Process of Birth Trauma.The journal of nursing research : JNRWomen described birth trauma as losing their sense of wholeness: unbearable pain, loss of dignity, ignored emotions, exposed privacy, and endless waiting. They also described never wanting another birth.
• RNQualitative2026Gestational syphilis and prenatal care: a study in light of individual, social, and programmatic vulnerabilities.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PWomen diagnosed with gestational syphilis described fear, little understanding, and prenatal care that felt minimal, with late diagnosis and partners sometimes untreated. Nurses should verify testing, treatment, partner care, and follow-up.
• RNCohort2026Racial Differences in Prenatal Cannabis Screening Among Women at Elevated Risk for Substance Use and Sexually Transmitted Infections.Journal of midwifery & women's healthMost pregnant women at increased risk reported no clinician discussion about cannabis use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Black women were more likely than White women to report being asked or talked to.
• RNSurvey2026The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Spiritual Well-Being With Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Pregnant Women: A Descriptive-Analytical Research.Nursing openIn 200 Iranian pregnant women, higher health literacy and spiritual well-being were linked to fewer depression and anxiety symptoms. These are associations, not proof that improving either helps mental health.
• RNSurvey2026Factors associated with fear of childbirth in pregnant women in a University Hospital in Southern Brazil.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PPregnant women with very high fear of childbirth reported significantly more fear of panicking, losing control, intense pain, prolonged labor, and uncertainty about labor duration. Screening for these specific anticipatory fears in the third trimester can identify women needing extra emotional support.
• RNPilot2026Feasibility of an Online Resilience Program for Mothers With Adverse Childhood Experiences.Research in nursing & healthFive mothers finished the online resilience program, with 97.5% session attendance and satisfaction 9.80 out of 10. Resilience and positive parenting scores improved, but the small uncontrolled pilot cannot show the program works.
• RNSystematic Review2026Use of birth plans by pregnant women and its impact on childbirth: an integrative review.Revista brasileira de enfermagemBirth plans gave pregnant women a way to state preferences and discuss them with staff, but most evidence came from women’s experiences. Use them for communication, not as a guarantee of outcomes.
• RNCohort2026Use of copper intrauterine devices in the immediate postpartum period: a prospective longitudinal study.Revista brasileira de enfermagemMost women were satisfied with immediate postpartum copper IUD insertion, but 61.2% would have preferred another method. 42.4% had not been told about side effects. At six months, 62.5% of responders still used the IUD.
• RNQualitative2026Fathers' experiences during their partners' childbirth and postpartum period: health vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Revista brasileira de enfermagemFathers in Brazilian maternity services described fear of infecting their partner and baby, uneven companion rules, and uncertainty about childcare. They wanted active participation, but reported gaps in teaching on support, pain relief, breastfeeding, and newborn care.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Determinants of Recovery From Obstetric Fistula in Ethiopia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing openAcross 3238 Ethiopian women after fistula repair, 80.42% were discharged as recovered. Faster recovery was associated with antenatal care, facility delivery, shorter duration of incontinence, smaller fistula, intact urethra, and vaginal delivery.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Family-Centred Breastfeeding Interventions to Improve Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing openFamily breastfeeding support raised exclusive breastfeeding rates after birth. Effects were seen when fathers or both parents were included, when interventions used theory, combined face-to-face and online formats, and spanned prenatal and postnatal care.
• RNCohort2026Racial and Ethnic Differences in Nonresponse Rate to Experiences of Discrimination: A Secondary Analysis of the nuMoM2b Dataset.Research in nursing & healthIn 9,289 pregnant patients, 6.1% skipped a discrimination question versus 1.3% saying yes. Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black patients were more likely to skip than non-Hispanic White patients after accounting for age, BMI, education and poverty.
• RNSurvey2026Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the Maternal Adaptation Scale: a methodological study.Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea)The adapted Chinese maternal adaptation scale can help nurses identify postpartum mothers with poorer adaptation, especially those with depressive symptoms and less spousal help.
• RNCohort2026Social support perceived by breastfeeding mothers and its impacts on breastfeeding.Revista brasileira de enfermagemPostpartum women who had a social support network in the first month reported more daytime rest and were more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at six months. It did not affect nighttime rest or formula introduction.
• RNQualitative2026Perspectives and support needs for a spouse-inclusive digital intervention for perinatal depression and anxiety: a qualitative study.Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea)Women and spouses described perinatal distress as emotional, cognitive, and social. They suggested a spouse-inclusive app with symptom information, communication and role guidance, and trusted professional content.
• RNOther2026Effects of a nurse-led navigation program for first-time pregnant Korean women on maternal anxiety and childbirth confidence: a quasi-experimental study.Women's health nursing (Seoul, Korea)First-time pregnant women at 35+ weeks who received a 3-week nurse-led navigation program reported lower anxiety and higher childbirth confidence than women receiving usual education. Baseline childbirth confidence differed between groups, so the confidence result is less certain.
• RNSurvey2026Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Pre-Pregnancy Risk Management Among Childbearing-Age Women With a Kidney Transplant: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nursing openAmong 247 kidney transplant recipients, attitudes toward pre-pregnancy risk management were high, but knowledge and practice were only moderate. Nurses should prioritize education on teratogenic blood-pressure drugs and contraception, and ask about fertility plans.
• RNOther2026The Urban-Rural Continuum and Child Health: Influence of Residential Location on Ultra-Processed Food Consumption, Physical Activity, and Metabolic Biomarkers.Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)Schoolchildren in Brazilian urban expansion areas had more prediabetes and abnormal lipids than children in consolidated urban areas, despite similar ultra-processed food intake and overall activity. Walking or cycling to school was much less common.
• RNCohort2026Flip Chart based on the Interactive Theory of Breastfeeding: development and validation of an educational technology.Revista brasileira de enfermagemPregnant and postpartum women rated a breastfeeding flip chart as clear, engaging, and suitable, with all items acceptable. Nurses can use it for breastfeeding education, but the study did not test whether it improves breastfeeding.
• RNSurvey2026The relationship between pregnant women's attitudes toward preconception care and pregnancy adaptation: a cross-sectional descriptive study.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PReceiving preconception care was not linked to better reported adaptation to pregnancy in 388 pregnant women in Türkiye. More positive preconception knowledge and attitudes were linked to better adaptation.
• RNCohort2026Individual and Interactive Effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Household Income on Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms.Research in nursing & healthParental mental illness, substance use, incarceration, or intimate partner violence in early childhood was associated with more adolescent depression and anxiety. Maltreatment experiences were not. Low household income was associated with depression, not anxiety.
• RNSurvey2026Socioeconomic and Geographical Analysis on Antenatal Care Visits in Indonesia: A Cross-sectional Study.International journal of community based nursing and midwiferyOnly 38.65% of Indonesian women had adequate antenatal care, defined as six or more visits with minimum visits in each trimester. Younger, less educated, uninsured, rural, poorer, divorced or widowed women and those facing longer travel were less likely to meet it.
• RNQualitative2026Marginalised Caregivers: A Qualitative Study of Grandmothers in Postpartum and Infant Care.Nursing openGrandmothers caring for postpartum women and infants in China described feeling sidelined by younger parents' scientific knowledge, yet they remained highly motivated to learn. They reported social isolation and physical strain, but trusted nurses and doctors as the best source of infant care guidance.
• RNSurvey2026Association between neonatal conditions and anthropometric indicators among children attending daycare centers in Southern Brazil.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PNo birth or household factor was clearly linked to children's height-for-age. Body mass index-for-age was linked to food insecurity, lower socioeconomic class, and high-risk pregnancy, but this one-time study cannot show cause.
• RNQualitative2026A multi-domain qualitative study on factors influencing access to preventive hepatitis B care among rural population.International journal of nursing sciencesRural Chinese adults and migrant workers described waiting until severely ill, avoiding screening because of cost and stigma, and leaving families unvaccinated. These barriers delayed hepatitis B diagnosis and treatment.
• RNOther2026Effectiveness of acupressure in managing nausea, vomiting, and psychosocial well-being during pregnancy.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PPregnant women wearing acupressure wristbands reported less severe nausea and vomiting than women wearing placebo wristbands. Psychosocial well-being improved in both groups, with no extra benefit from acupressure.
• RNQualitative2026Experiences of family hope and hopelessness in the context of pregnancy and care for high-risk newborns.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemFamilies of high-risk newborns described hope shifting from fear and uncertainty to belief in better days, strengthened by faith and resilience over time. Pandemic isolation and delayed contact threatened hope.
• RNOther2026Temporal and spatial analysis of low birth weight cases in Sergipe.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemMost regions showed no change in low birth weight rates from 2013 to 2023. Nossa Senhora da Glória and Nossa Senhora do Socorro showed decreasing trends. Highest rates clustered in small municipalities with low human development index values.
• RNQualitative2026The experience of young women with gestational syphilis from the conceptual perspective of hope.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S P16 young women with gestational syphilis said prenatal care felt judgmental, making them avoid questions and hide their diagnosis. Protecting their unborn child and following treatment kept hope alive.
• RNSurvey2026Validation of the Traditional Chinese version of Mothers on Respect Index (MORi) and Mother's Autonomy in Decision Making (MADM) Scale.International journal of nursing sciencesTraditional Chinese versions of the MORi-R and MADM questionnaires measured respectful maternity care and decision-making autonomy well among 1,395 postpartum women in Hong Kong, who reported moderate levels of both.
• RNQualitative2026Ethnic Disparities in Clinical Decision-Making for Rapid Tranquillisation in Adult Forensic Mental Health Inpatient Settings: A Qualitative Study.International journal of mental health nursingStaff documentation showed similar medication and restraint patterns across ethnic groups, but ethnic-minority patients had shorter warning signs, less documented negotiation and planning, and less debriefing after forced sedation.
• RNQualitative2026Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on families of children and adolescents with diabetes: maternal perspective.Revista brasileira de enfermagemMothers of children with type 1 diabetes described pandemic fear, heavier caregiving, and disrupted routines; they also adapted by tightening hygiene, monitoring diet, exercising at home, and leaning on family, peers, and health care providers.
• RNQualitative2026'The Right to Have a Family Should Not Be Determined by Your Postcode': Rural Community Experiences With Fertility Care.The Australian journal of rural healthRural women described fertility care as delayed, costly and hard to keep private, with long travel, GP waits, unclear options and little support. They wanted local hubs, telehealth, medication help and counselling.
• RNOther2026Construction and Validation of a Nomogram Model for Stress Urinary Incontinence of Late Pregnancy.Nursing openA simple score based on maternal age, miscarriage history, pelvic floor training, family history, smoke exposure, and coffee intake may help identify late-pregnancy women likely to leak urine with coughing, sneezing, or activity. It was built in a Chinese hospital and checked only internally.
• RNOther2026Cross-Cultural Validation and Psychometric Evaluation of the Birth Beliefs Scale Among Portuguese Pregnant Women.Western journal of nursing researchA translated Birth Beliefs Scale for Portuguese pregnant women still split birth into natural and medical views, but pain-related items and an item about body structure were dropped. The medical subscale was less consistent, so use it cautiously.
• RNSurvey2026Anxiety in mothers of children with COVID-19 based on the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.Revista brasileira de enfermagem50% of mothers of infants confirmed with COVID-19 had moderate anxiety; mothers with lower education or income had higher state anxiety during the child's infection.
• RNRCT2026Internet-based intervention on maternal sleep and anxiety: a randomized clinical trial.Revista brasileira de enfermagemMothers of infants aged 10 to 24 months who received two online coaching sessions covering sleep hygiene, infant sleep management, relaxation and self-efficacy, plus scheduled WhatsApp messages, had better sleep and lower anxiety after 30 days than controls.
• RNSurvey2026Clinical and maternal factors related to father's involvement in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.Revista brasileira de enfermagemHalf of fathers never went to prenatal checkups, though 42.3% always attended ultrasounds. Involvement was higher when mothers worked, lived with their partner, had fewer children, and had fewer pregnancies, and lower with low family income.
• RNSurvey2026Investigating the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Cut-Off Point and Predictors of Paternal Postnatal Depression in Fathers: A Cross-Sectional Study.Nursing openFor Iranian fathers, an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score above 7 had 100% sensitivity and 91.49% specificity for psychiatrist-diagnosed postnatal depression; using it, 26.7% of 240 fathers screened positive.
• RNSurvey2026Child-Friendly Neighborhood for Early Childhood: a cross-sectional study on child development and urban infrastructure.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PMothers who felt their neighborhood was safe were less likely to have a child who screened at risk for developmental delay. The other neighborhood features studied, including play spaces and green areas, did not show the same link.
• RNSurvey2026Prevalence and factors associated with fear of childbirth: national online survey of Brazilian adults.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemFear of childbirth was reported by 71.6% of 528 Brazilian adults; 26.9% had high fear. Older age and men had lower scores, while previous pregnancy experience had higher scores.
• RNRCT2026The Effect of Maternal Lullaby Singing, Affectionate Touch, and a Developmental Support Program on Comfort and Development in Premature Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Nursing openMost comfort and developmental differences in premature infants did not hold up after checking many outcomes. Only Week 2 comfort and one early expressive language result did.
• RNSystematic Review2026Risk Factors for Postpartum Weight Retention in Postpartum Women: An Integrative Review.Nursing openIn 26 studies, postpartum weight retention at 6 months ranged from 10.6% to 85.5%. Nurses can screen for excessive gestational weight gain, caesarean birth, inappropriate diet, low activity, short sleep, and anxiety or depression.
• PTRNSurvey2026Patients in Every Practice: Health Status and Health Experiences of an International Sample of Adults Born Preterm.Journal of nursing scholarship : an official publication of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of NursingMost participants born preterm reported ongoing health concerns, yet 67% had never been asked about preterm birth. Concerns were similar across gestational ages and birth eras, and respiratory, mental health and neurodevelopmental symptoms were common.
• RNQualitative2026Hope in breastfeeding in the context of breastfeeding counseling: a qualitative analysis based on the Multidimensional Model of Hope.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PWomen who received breastfeeding counselling from a nurse described the counsellor’s reassurance and practical help as sustaining hope through pain, family judgment, and work pressures.
• RNOther2026Assessment of the quality of notifications and investigations of congenital syphilis in Bahia, 2010-2021.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PCongenital syphilis forms in Bahia were better completed over time, but key child follow-up test fields were often blank or inconsistent. Missing lab dates may mean tests were not done or not recorded.
• RNSurvey2026Labor and birth care practices associated with exclusive breastfeeding at discharge.Revista brasileira de enfermagemIn 756 women, 85.0% were exclusively breastfeeding at discharge; privacy, skin-to-skin contact, feeding cue guidance, and positioning help were associated with higher rates, while cesarean birth and invasive procedures were associated with lower rates.