The promotion of positive mental health for new mothers during Covid-19

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused increased hardship for new mothers and their young children. Increased isolation, lack of in-person doctor visits and decreased interaction within the community, has pregnant and postpartum women in need of additional support. Occupational therapists often work with infants and their mothers due to feeding concerns. Difficulty with early feeding adds additional stress on the mother-infant dyad relationship. This case study describes a mother's traumatic experience giving birth during Covid-19 and the occupational therapy intervention provided to the mother-infant dyad. In order to improve outcomes for the mother and child with feeding concerns, this case study is a call to action for paediatric occupational therapy practitioners to include the promotion of positive mental health of mothers in their practice, particularly during the pandemic.

Women’s Reproductive Health and Rights Through the Lens of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…21 Providing occupational therapy for infants and their mothers due to nutritional concerns. 43 As a result, maternity services should be prioritised as fundamental core health services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 32,33 Family Planning and Unintended Pregnancies…”

“…26 Therefore, international agencies and researchers published various actions to ensure SRH throughout the COVID-19 pandemic [Table 1]. 21,[41][42][43]…”

“…18,19 Commonly, women's and girls' challenges in relation to SRH during the pandemic include violence against women and girls (VAWG), lack of access to high-quality maternity services in pregnancy, loss of family planning, increased unplanned pregnancies and impaired maternal mental health, which is discussed. 8,21…”

“…Actions in response to the sexual and reproductive health emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic21,[41][42][43] …”