http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10704 2026-04-08T21:46:46Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10712 Title: Woman-centred ethics: A feminist participatory action research Authors: Buchanan, Kate; Geraghty, Sadie; Whitehead, Lisa; Newnham, Elizabeth Abstract: Introduction: Contemporary ethical issues in the maternity system are nuanced, complex and layered. Medicalisation and the reported rise in incidence of mistreatment and birth trauma, has been described as unethical. Some authors suggest bioethical principles are limited in terms of guiding everyday care of pregnancy and birth. There is currently no known published research which explores what birthing people say is ethical. Aims: This study sought to explore women’s experience of maternity care from an ethical perspective. Method: A Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) was conducted over three years, in two phases. A Community Action Research Group (CARG) was formed of nine participants, and data were captured from five focus groups. A further ten participants were recruited for individual in-depth interviews, the data corpus was combined, and thematic analysis was applied. All 19 participants had experienced a midwifery model of care in Western Australia. Results: A unique ethical perspective was described by the participants. The central theme: ‘Radical desires: Individuals values and context’ placed the woman at the centre of the care, in determining what is ethical. Two categories captured the care experienced: Woman-centred ethics or Authoritarian ethics. A conceptual model Woman-centred ethics is offered to enhance everyday ethical midwifery care. Discussion: The participants in this study perceived care as either ethical or unethical based on the quality of the relationship, the knowledge that was shared and the manner of the care given. The Womancentred ethics model may be a starting point for moving the field forward in ethical discussion. 2023-12-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10709 Title: Psychological profile and mood disturbance of women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania Authors: Pop-Tudose, Melania Elena; Popescu-Spinen, Dana Maria; Manolesc, Loredana Sabina Cornelia; Radu, Mihaela Corina; Iancu, Felicia Claudia; Armean, Sebastian Mihai Abstract: Objective: This study aimed to outline the emotional profile and the mood disturbance of women who gave birth during Emergency and Alert states in Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate how the emergency and alert states due to Covid-19 affected the emotional profile and the mood disturbance of pregnant women who gave birth during these times. We included 244 postpartum women, divided into two groups: 124 women during the State of Emergency and another 120 women during the State of Alert. After expressing their informed consent, they completed an anonymous questionnaire that collected demographic data and the Profile of Mood States Questionnaire, as well as a follow-up survey. Data analysis was performed using the statistical program SPSS 24.0. Results: Out of the 300 questionnaires distributed, we collected 244 valid questionnaires. 45.2% of State of Emergency group and 53.3% of State of Alert group experienced Anxiety, 16.9% of State of Emergency group, respectively 18.3% of State of Alert group, Depression, and 25% of State of Emergency group respectively 34.2% of State of Alert group, Distress. Compared to the ideal Iceberg profile, the emotional profile of both groups presented an inverted graph for Anxiety and Depression and much lower values for Vigor. Only 35.5% of State of Emergency group and 16.7% of State of Alert group received information concerning the virus, symptoms, and evolution of the disease from the specialists who monitored their pregnancy and 25.8% of State of Emergency group respectively 11.7% of State of Alert group received information about measures to prevent contamination and infection. Psycho-emotional and mood disturbance was more pronounced among State of Alert group. Conclusions: There was a significant psycho-emotional alteration of surveyed women during the pandemic, worsened by the radical measures of the State of Emergency and associated with the major deficiency of care services in supplying valid information and counseling for pregnant women’s safety in the State of Alert. There is a highlighted need to pay more attention to the psychological profile of pregnant women and to modernize the health services in this field and adapt them to pandemic situations with the use of modern virtual techniques. In addition, the Romanian health care system should round off the team responsible for the care of mother and child with midwives, internationally recognized very skilled in informing, monitoring, counseling, and support in this field 2023-12-01T00:00:00Z http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/10707 Title: Postnatal mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on mothers’ postnatal sense of security and on mother-to-infant bonding Authors: Schaming, Céline; Wendland, Jaqueline Abstract: Background: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic context imposed new living conditions which greatly modified women’s experience of the postpartum period and brought significant changes to postnatal care. Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic context on maternal sense of security and on mother-to-child bonding in the postpartum. Design: This study had a mixed research design. We compared levels of mother-child bonding disturbances and of maternal emotional security amongst two samples of postnatal women recruited before and during the pandemic. Postnatal depression was also evaluated. A qualitative analysis of the participants’ comments on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was performed with an open-coding approach. Participants: Two samples of French-speaking mothers in the first six months after their childbirth, recruited before the pandemic (N=874) and during the pandemic (N=721). Findings: Mother-child bonding disturbances measured with PBQ and levels of emotional security levels evaluated with PPSSi did not differ significantly between the samples. A high prevalence of women at risk of postnatal depression was found in both samples. However, participants’ comments on their postnatal experience during the pandemic contrasted with their quantitative data. Fears of contamination, social isolation, and lack of support were the main factors of insecurity. Lack of closeness with relatives and friends, limited presence of the partner in the maternity ward, and early interactions with the newborn with a mask appear to have altered mother-child bonding during this pandemic period. Conclusions and implications for practice: The findings highlight the importance of considering social and environmental factors and needs when evaluating postnatal mental health and providing postnatal care to new mothers during a health crisis. Health services and professionals should pay particular attention to mothers’ mental health and well-being and guarantee continuity of care to avoid parents’ isolation in the sensitive postpartum period. 2023-11-01T00:00:00Z