The Value of an Extended Postnatal Program.

Summary

The objective was to study and evaluate earlier and extended postpartum care visits (week 3 and 7) compared to the current structure of one traditional visit 7 weeks postpartum.

In Sweden there is an organized system of antenatal and postnatal care based on local maternity clinics that are run by midwives who collaborate with obstetricians and surrounding hospitals. Pregnant women are regularly assessed by a midwife during their antenatal care. If complications occur, they are assessed by an obstetrician at the maternity clinic or at the nearest hospital. Postnatally a follow up visit to the same maternity clinic is offered usually about 6-12 weeks postpartum. Nowadays a healthy primigravid woman with a full-term pregnancy and a healthy child leaves the hospital within 6-24 hours postpartum. Many women experience the time between leaving the hospital until the postnatal follow up visit as too long. It is described that women missing early feedback regarding the experience of giving birth, breastfeeding, the transition of parenthood and sometimes physical examination.The eligible women enrolled were asked if they wanted to voluntarily participate in the trial about postpartum care.The women participating were recruited in pregnancy week 37 and offered to join, and if interested randomly divided into one of two groups. One control group who received a traditional postpartum care visit, that is one visit to a midwife 7 weeks postpartum, and one intervention group where the participating women were invited to two visits to the midwife; 3 weeks postpartum and then an additional visit 7 weeks postpartum. At the end of the visits both in the intervention group and in the control group the women completed a questionnaire given them via a Quick Response-code (QR-code) to fill in on their mobile phone. The questionnaire contained questions regarding delivery, breastfeeding, satisfaction with recieved care, evaluation of postpartum care offered, satisfaction with the visit and birth control.

The hypothesis is that two visits (week 3 and 7) will have an impact on womens health, wellbeing, satisfaction and contraceptive use postpartum.

Conditions

• Postpartum

Interventions

OTHER

Two postpartum visits.

Group 1 serves as an intervention group (experimental). All enrolled women in the intervention group were in connection with the inclusion given two pre-booked postpartum care visits. One early at 3 weeks and one later at 7 weeks postpartum.

OTHER

One postpartum visit.

Group 2 serves as a control group (active comparator). All enrolled women in the control group were in connection with the inclusion given one pre-booked postpartum care visit at 7 weeks postpartum according to the traditional postpartum care.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Vastra Gotaland Region

  lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

• Ingela Lindh, PhD · Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-01-10

Primary Completion

2020-02-17

Completion

2021-03-28

Countries

• Sweden

Study Locations