Department of Emergency Medical Service, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland.
Institute of Outcomes Research, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Medical Academy, 00-001 Warsaw, Poland.
Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Jun 20;58(6):831. doi: 10.3390/medicina58060831.
COVID-19 is a pandemic disease, and its unpredictable outcome makes it particularly dangerous, especially for pregnant women. One of the decisions they have to make is where they will give birth. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the choice of place of delivery and the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on these factors. : The study was conducted on 517 respondents from Poland. The research methods comprised the authors' own survey questionnaire distributed via the Internet from 8 to 23 June 2021. The survey was fully anonymous, voluntary, and addressed to women who gave birth during the pandemic or will give birth shortly. A total of 440 (85.1%) respondents were afraid of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The most frequently indicated factors were fear of complications in the newborn, fear of intrauterine fetal death, and congenital disabilities in a newborn. A total of 74 (14.3%) women considered home delivery. The main factors that discouraged the choice of home birth were the lack of professional medical care 73.1% ( = 378), the lack of anesthesia 23.6% ( = 122), and the presence of indications for caesarean section 23.4% ( = 121). The possibility of mother-child isolation caused the greatest fear about hospital delivery. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pregnant women concerned about SARS-CoV-2 infection were more likely to consider home delivery than those without such fears. The most important factors affecting the choice of the place of delivery included the possibility of a partner's presence, excellent sanitary conditions and optimal distance from the hospital, and the availability of epidural analgesia for delivery. Our study identifies the determinants of place of delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data we obtained can result in the healthcare system considering patients' needs in case of similar crisis in the future.
COVID-19 是一种大流行疾病，其不可预测的结果使其特别危险，尤其是对孕妇而言。她们必须做出的决定之一是在哪里分娩。本研究旨在确定影响分娩地点选择的因素，以及 COVID-19 大流行对这些因素的影响。本研究在波兰对 517 名受访者进行了研究。研究方法包括作者自己的问卷调查，该问卷于 2021 年 6 月 8 日至 23 日通过互联网分发。调查完全是匿名的、自愿的，并且针对在大流行期间分娩或即将分娩的妇女。共有 440 名（85.1%）受访者害怕 SARS-CoV-2 感染。最常提到的因素是担心新生儿并发症、宫内胎儿死亡和新生儿先天性残疾。共有 74 名（14.3%）妇女考虑在家分娩。不选择在家分娩的主要因素是缺乏专业医疗护理 73.1%（=378），缺乏麻醉 23.6%（=122），以及有剖宫产指征 23.4%（=121）。母婴隔离的可能性是对医院分娩最大的恐惧。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，担心 SARS-CoV-2 感染的孕妇比没有这种担忧的孕妇更有可能考虑在家分娩。影响分娩地点选择的最重要因素包括伴侣在场的可能性、良好的卫生条件和与医院的最佳距离，以及分娩时使用硬膜外镇痛的可能性。我们的研究确定了 COVID-19 大流行期间分娩地点的决定因素。我们获得的数据可以使医疗保健系统在未来类似危机时考虑到患者的需求。
