Comparative Analysis of After-Birth Associated Factors in Quality of Maternal Care in Healthcare Facilities in Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland

Objectives* The aim of the study was to compare postnatal practices, including skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding initiation and support, rooming-in and staying with the baby, information from healthcare professionals (HCP) on maternal and child alarm signals and information on seeking help after discharge in Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Italy, to provide insights into improving perinatal care. Materials and Methods Women aged 18+ who gave birth in healthcare facilities in Italy, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland between January 2022 and December 2023 participated via a validated questionnaire, capturing aspects related to quality of maternal and newborn care as part of IMAgiNE EURO study. Comparative analysis was performed. Results A total of 21 221 responses were analysed (18190 Italy, 889 Latvia, 850 Lithuania and 1292 Poland). Skin-to-skin Contact immediately after birth differed significantly between countries - in Latvia 83.2% and in Poland 62.8%. The percentage of breastfeeding initiation within the first hour after birth differed statistically significantly between countries -in Latvia 83.4 %, while breastfeeding initiation and appropriate breastfeeding support were the least frequent in Italy (65.7%;56.8%). Rooming in and staying with the baby as long as the woman needed were most frequently reported in Latvia (89.1%;96.4%), but was least frequently confirmed in Italy (72%),and staying with the child as long as they wanted in Lithuania (91.8%). In all countries, less than half of the women confirmed that HCP had fully informed them about possible clinical alarm symptoms (Poland-39%), and even less about symptoms concerning the child (Latvia-30%). Unfortunately, responses to all 8 after-birth associated factors indicating adequate care were reported by only 13-15.2% of respondents. Conclusions The results indicate disparities in postnatal practices in health care facilities in neighbouring and EU countries. These results highlight the need to improve the quality of perinatal care emphasising the importance of improving appropriate information to the woman, and lactation promotion and support.