Overview
- The BJOG study analyzed responses from 7,189 women who gave birth in March 2021 in metropolitan France and were surveyed two months later.
- Between 24% and 25% reported hurtful or uncomfortable words, gestures or behaviors from caregivers during labor, birth or the maternity stay.
- Postpartum depressive symptoms affected 21.8% of women reporting disrespectful care versus 16.6% overall, an estimated 37% higher risk on a screening scale.
- Researchers stress that the findings are observational and not causal, and they recommend consent-centered care, better pain management, relational training, systematic screening, and stable staffing.
- Coverage underscores decades of maternity unit closures and staffing gaps that complicate care, notes the Covid-19 context that could color experiences, and cites perinatal suicidal ideation rates up to 8%.