Perspective of Post-Natal Mothers regarding Respectful Maternity Care during Facility-based Child Birth

Abstract

Respectful maternity care (RMC) is an approach centred on an individual, based on principles of ethics and respect for human rights, and promotes practices that recognise women’s preference and women’s and newborn’s needs. Despite the abundance of research on disrespect and abuse prevalence, few studies have investigated effective measures for reducing and preventing the prevalence of disrespect and abuse behaviour during labour and birth. The study sought to determine women’s perception of RMC during facility-based child birth. It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 100 post-natal mothers admitted to the post-natal ward of New Civil Hospital, Surat. Random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through interview technique. Frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation, chi-square test were used to analyse descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that 90 percent of the women stated that they had perceived overall dimensions of RMC, the mean score being 82.83 with a standard deviation of 12.83229 whereas rest of the 10 percent didn’t perceive it. As for friendly care, the average score of 83.00 is observed with the SD of 14.41187, where 90 percent of the post-natal mothers claimed having received friendly care. The highest average score of 90.00 is observed in the abuse-free care dimension with the SD of 13.6782, where 98 percent of the post-natal mothers claimed having received abuse-free care. As for timely care dimension, the average score of 81.4 is observed with the SD of 16.0609, where 89 percent of the post-natal mothers claimed being received timely care. With respect to discrimination-free aspect, the average score of 88.3 is observed with the SD of 9.54045, where 100 percent of the postnatal mothers claimed being received discrimination free care. The average score of 81.5 is observed in the privacy maintained dimension with the SD of 18.27815, where 89 percent of the postnatal mothers claimed having received privacy maintained. In baby care area, the average score of 82.83 was observed with the SD of 17.5173, where 84 percent of the post-natal mothers claimed having received care of baby