COVID-19-related Fears and Practices among Postnatal Women Availing Services at a Rural Maternity Hospital in South Karnataka

Abstract

Summary The postnatal period is a critical phase indeed, in which, owing to the pandemic, an added apprehension being the safety and well-being of both, mother and child. This study was mainly done to assess the attitude and practices regarding postnatal care during the Covid-19 pandemic among women availing services at Snehalaya hospital, Solur. It was a hospital based cross- sectional study done among post-natal mothers and data were collected using an interview schedule following sections such as- socio-demographic details, questions assessing the attitudes towards postnatal care during the pandemic followed by questions assessing the practices in the same period. It was found that of the total interviewed, nearly half mothers reported to have a fear of getting infected with Covid-19 and few reported to have a fear of deaths due to Covid-19. Fear of dying from Covid-19 was an evident finding seen more among the gainfully employed and those with bad obstetric history. The socioeconomic status did have a bearing on the perceptions towards the pandemic influence on the maternal and child health during the puerperal period.