Mwakyusa Michael Obed, Said Ali, Selemani Shekha, Kakiziba Musa, Christopher Judica, Sirili Nathanael Shauri, Al-Beity Fadhlun M Alwy
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, MUHAS, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital, MZRH, Mbeya, Tanzania.
PLoS One. 2025 Jan 9;20(1):e0309602. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0309602. eCollection 2025.
Despite existing policies promoting companionship, it remains uncommon in Tanzania. Pregnant women select a trusted individual to accompany them during childbirth, providing emotional, physical, and spiritual support. The World Health Organization recommends birth companionship as integral to intrapartum care for positive maternal and fetal outcomes.
This study aimed to explore the experiences of pregnant women and healthcare providers regarding childbirth companionship at a tertiary health facility in Tanzania.
Participants were purposefully selected for qualitative exploratory interviews. Focused group discussions were conducted with pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, and in-depth interviews were held with healthcare providers at Mbeya Zonal Referral Hospital in Tanzania. Braun and Clarke's six-step thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data.
Three major themes emerged: "Bonding and Learning with Spouse/Partner," "Assurance of Maternal Safety," and "Fear of Blame and Breach of Confidentiality." These themes highlight a strong desire among both pregnant women and healthcare providers for companionship during labor, particularly from male partners. Emotional support and safety were cited as key reasons. Fear, however, was identified as a major obstacle, with providers concerned about potential exposure of mistakes and pregnant women fearing a violation of their privacy rights regarding health matters.
Pregnant women expressed a strong desire for companionship throughout labor. However, companionship faced challenges due to staff shortages and inadequate privacy in labor wards. There is a pressing need to enhance childbirth companionship practices and policies in low-resource settings.
尽管现有政策鼓励陪伴分娩，但在坦桑尼亚，陪伴分娩仍不常见。孕妇会选择一位值得信赖的人在分娩时陪伴自己，给予情感、身体和精神上的支持。世界卫生组织建议将分娩陪伴作为产时护理的重要组成部分，以实现良好的母婴结局。
本研究旨在探讨坦桑尼亚一家三级医疗机构中孕妇和医护人员在分娩陪伴方面的经历。
有目的地选择参与者进行定性探索性访谈。对参加产前诊所的孕妇进行焦点小组讨论，并对坦桑尼亚姆贝亚地区转诊医院的医护人员进行深入访谈。采用布劳恩和克拉克的六步主题分析法对数据进行分析。
出现了三个主要主题：“与配偶/伴侣建立联系和学习”、“确保产妇安全”以及“害怕被指责和违反保密原则”。这些主题凸显了孕妇和医护人员在分娩期间，尤其是希望男性伴侣陪伴分娩的强烈愿望。情感支持和安全被认为是关键原因。然而，恐惧被确定为一个主要障碍，医护人员担心错误可能被曝光，而孕妇则担心其健康问题的隐私权受到侵犯。
孕妇表示在整个分娩过程中都非常渴望有人陪伴。然而，由于人员短缺和产房隐私不足，陪伴分娩面临挑战。在资源匮乏地区，迫切需要加强分娩陪伴的实践和政策。
