“At Least Your Baby Is Healthy” Obstetric Violence or Disrespect and Abuse in Childbirth Occurrence Worldwide: A Literature Review

Perrotte, Violette; Chaudhary, Arun; Goodman, Annekathryn

doi:10.4236/ojog.2020.10110139

Cited by 35 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 27 publications

(87 reference statements)

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“…A Canadian study found participants who declined aspects of maternity care experienced coercive and pressured interactions which could result in the individual losing trust in the health care provider [ 35 ]. Using threatening and hurtful comments and behaviours can be categorised as non-dignified care in the ‘disrespect and abuse in childbirth’ definition [ 36 ] which is also described as obstetric violence [ 37 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Obstetric violence was recognised by Venezuelan law in 2007 and Latin American countries have since implemented obstetric violence legislation. Recognition of this law has provided avenues for women to take legal action against health professionals and organisations and provided a framework to identify systemic failures that manifest in disrespectful maternity care [ 37 , 56 , 57 ]. An obstetric violence legal framework isn’t currently available in Australia and women who attempt to seek legal recompense struggle within the criminal and civil justice system due to economic, racial and gendered discriminations [ 58 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There should be a focus in clinical practice and research on strategies to decrease negative interactions and increase positive interactions. Strategies to decrease the use of coercion and obstetric violence should recognise the broader societal impact of violence against women [ 37 ]. Strategies may include HCP training on the impact of bias, race and culturally competent care, and individualised care [ 37 , 59 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Strategies to decrease the use of coercion and obstetric violence should recognise the broader societal impact of violence against women [ 37 ]. Strategies may include HCP training on the impact of bias, race and culturally competent care, and individualised care [ 37 , 59 ]. Implementing trauma-informed maternity practices and training can promote positive interactions based on respect, empowerment and collaboration [ 38 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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From coercion to respectful care: women’s interactions with health care providers when planning a VBAC

Keedle

Schmied

Burns

et al. 2022

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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Background In many countries caesarean section rates are increasing and this impacts on choices made around mode of birth in subsequent pregnancies. Having a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) can be a safe and empowering experience for women, yet most women have repeat caesareans. High caesarean section rates increase maternal and neonatal morbidity, health costs and burden on hospitals. Women can experience varied support from health care providers when planning a VBAC. The aim of this paper is to explore the nature and impact of the interactions between women planning a VBAC and health care providers from the women’s perspective. Methods A national Australian VBAC survey was undertaken in 2019. In total 559 women participated and provided 721 open-ended responses to six questions. Content analysis was used to categorise respondents’ answers to the open-ended questions. Results Two main categories were found capturing the positive and negative interactions women had with health care providers. The first main category, ‘Someone in my corner’, included the sub-categories ‘belief in women birthing’, ‘supported my decisions’ and ‘respectful maternity care’. The negative main category ‘Fighting for my birthing rights’ included the sub-categories ‘the odds were against me’, ‘lack of belief in women giving birth’ and ‘coercion’. Negative interactions included the use of coercive comments such as threats and demeaning language. Positive interactions included showing support for VBAC and demonstrating respectful maternity care. Conclusions In this study women who planned a VBAC experienced a variety of positive and negative interactions. Individualised care and continuity of care are strategies that support the provision of positive respectful maternity care.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

From coercion to respectful care: women’s interactions with health care providers when planning a VBAC

Keedle

Schmied

Burns

et al. 2022

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth

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“…Apart from systemic factors, individual factors such as personal prejudices, sexism, and paternalism also determine provider's perceptions of D&A [46].…”

Section: The Provider Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Patient and Provider Perspectives of Disrespect and Abuse during Childbirth in Tanzania: A Literature Review

Das¹,

Masoi²,

Kibusi³

et al. 2021

OJOG

Self Cite

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Objective: Disrespectful and abusive (D&A) maternity care is a deterrent to facility childbirth and can thus contribute to child and maternal mortality. This study will review existing literature on D&A in Tanzania to better understand and contextualize the issue. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to find relevant publications on D&A during childbirth in Tanzania. The search was conducted on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health). The inclusion criteria were as follows: qualitative, quantitative, and ethnographic studies conducted in Tanzania on obstetrical violence; published in English; focused on prevalence, incidence, root causes, historical trends, interventions, and policy recommendations for obstetrical violence in Tanzania. Results: Twenty-one studies were selected for this literature review. Up to 73.1% of women reported experiencing at least one form of D&A during labor. Commonly reported D&A events include non-dignified care, non-confidential care, and physical abuse. Other forms of D&A, including detention in facilities and asking for unofficial payments, are also reported. Ninety-six percent of nurses, midwives, and nursing assistants in Tanzania self-reported engaging in at least one form of D&A. Lack of training and provider support, long work hours, fear of blame, and limited infrastructure were reported as factors leading to D&A by providers. Conclusions: In Tanzania, D&A during childbirth is prevalent in healthcare systems. The direct relationship between D&A and poor maternal and fetal health is well-documented.

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Womenʼs perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care in childbirth during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Latvia: Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study on 40 WHO standards‐based quality measures

Pumpure

Jakovicka

Mariani

et al. 2022

Intl J Gynecology & Obste

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Objective To investigate women's perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Latvia, comparing the years 2020 and 2021, among women who went into labor or had a prelabor cesarean. Methods Women giving birth in healthcare facilities in Latvia from March 1, 2020, to October 28, 2021, answered an online questionnaire including 40 WHO standards‐based quality measures. Descriptive and multivariate quantile regression analyses were performed to compare QMNC in 2020 and 2021. Results 2079 women were included in the analysis: 1860 women who went into labor (group 1) and 219 with prelabor cesarean (group 2). Among group 1, 66.4% (n = 99/149) of women received fundal pressure in an instrumental vaginal birth, 43.5% (n = 810) lacked involvement in choices, 17.4% (n = 317) reported suffering abuse, 32.7% (n = 609) reported inadequate breastfeeding support while 5.2% (n = 96) lack of early breastfeeding. A significant reduction in QMNC due to the COVID‐19 pandemic was reported by 29.5% (n = 219) and 25.0% (n = 270) of respondents in 2020 and 2021, respectively (P = 0.045). Multivariate analyses highlighted a significantly lower QMNC index for 2020 compared with 2021 (P < 0.001). Conclusion This first study investigating QMNC in Latvia showed significant gaps in QMNC perceived by respondents, with slightly better results in 2021. Appropriate healthcare strategies to improve health care for women and newborns in Latvia are required. http://clinicaltrials.gov Identifier:NCT04847336.

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“At Least Your Baby Is Healthy” Obstetric Violence or Disrespect and Abuse in Childbirth Occurrence Worldwide: A Literature Review

Cited by 35 publications

References 27 publications

From coercion to respectful care: women’s interactions with health care providers when planning a VBAC

From coercion to respectful care: women’s interactions with health care providers when planning a VBAC

Patient and Provider Perspectives of Disrespect and Abuse during Childbirth in Tanzania: A Literature Review

Womenʼs perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care in childbirth during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Latvia: Results from the IMAgiNE EURO study on 40 WHO standards‐based quality measures

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