The Covid-19 Pandemic and Maternal Care

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely af-fected the provision of healthcare services, including maternal care. Some services have been restricted or prohibited to a cer-tain extent in order to minimise the risk of COVID-19 trans-mission to women and newborns. Objective: The research was focused on evaluating prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care provided to pregnant women, mothers, and newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we investigated how women perceived maternal care, measures to reduce the risk of infection, and satisfaction with the care provided. We assessed the extent to which there would be differences in the provision of care in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Methodology: Empirical data were obtained through a ques-tionnaire survey. Data collection was carried out at the end of the first wave of COVID-19 and at the beginning of the second wave in 2021. The research sample consisted of 539 women respondents in total, with 270 women from the Slovak Repub-lic and 269 women from the Czech Republic. The research was supported by a joint research project of the Faculty of Health Care Studies of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and the Faculty of Health and Social Work of St. Ladislaus in Nove Zamky (St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Work) and was approved by the institution's ethics committee. The empirical data were processed using the SPSS 20 statistical software. Results: Statistically significant results were found regarding the relationship between overweight and obesity and the in-creased risk of COVID-19 infection. Women who were over-weight or obese before pregnancy had a positive COVID-19 test result during pregnancy, ������2= 22,9431, p< 0,001, as did pregnant women who had a positive COVID-19 test before pregnancy and were overweight or obese, ������2= 13,3497, p= 0,004. Among women who had recovered from COVID-19, we found statistically significant results for the following items: absence of bonding (0.0068), routine recommendations not to breastfeed and to express breast milk instead (0.0203), adherence to epidemiological measures during childbirth (0.032), and adherence to increased hand hygiene and disin-fection (0.0481). Regarding the provision of maternal services in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, women expected more in-formation about vaccination and breastfeeding. Conclusion: To modify preventive recommendations accord-ing to international standards for maternal care, to consider cri-teria for mother-child separation and to improve counselling for mother and child regarding COVID-19.