The Effects of the Intrapartum Care Model Given in Line With the Recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO)

The Effects of the Intrapartum Care Model Given in Line With the Recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the Mother's Maternal Behavior Towards Her Baby, Breastfeeding Self-efficacy, Breastfeeding Success, and Hospital Discharge Readiness

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of the intrapartum care model that adheres to the guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization (WHO) on several key outcomes, including the mother's maternal behavior towards her infant postpartum, breastfeeding self-efficacy, the success of breastfeeding, and the mother's readiness for hospital discharge.

The study was a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted with 128 primiparous pregnant women (intervention group n=64, control group n=64) admitted to the maternity unit of a training and research hospital in a province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Pregnant women in the intervention group were provided with intrapartum care in accordance with the WHO recommendations following the achievement of cervical dilatation reaching 5 cm. The control group was provided with only standard intrapartum and postpartum care. Data were collected using a personal information form, a postpartum parenting behavior scale, a breastfeeding self-efficacy scale, a breastfeeding charting system and documentation tool (LATCH), and a hospital discharge readiness scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being 18 years of age or older,
• History of term pregnancy (38-42 weeks),
• Having a primiparous,
• Single, healthy, vertex positioned fetus,
• Having no complications that may cause dystocia in labor (such as contraction anomalies, birth object,
• Birth canal dystocia, dystocia related to the mother's psychology),
• Having a partner/husband,
• History of cervical dilatation of 5 cm or more,
• Having a healthy newborn,
• Being able to speak and understand Turkish.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being under 18 years of age,
• Having a diagnosed mental illness (depression, anxiety or other psychotic disorder, etc.),
• Having a chronic disease (hypertension, diabetes, etc.),
• Having maternal or fetal complications (oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios, placenta previa, pre-eclampsia, premature rupture of membranes, anomalies of presentation, intrauterine growth retardation, fetal anomaly, intrauterine death, fetal macrosomia, cord prolapse, etc.),
• Having any complication that prevents vaginal delivery (head-pelvis incompatibility, etc.),
• Having a history of elective cesarean section,
• Being pregnant with assisted reproductive techniques,
• Being multiparous,and having mastitis in the breast or having inverted nipples.
• The study also excluded women who had undergone a cesarean section due to any complication (e.g., cord entanglement, fetal distress),
• Who experienced complications related to the postpartum period (e.g., uterine atony, hemorrhage),
• And whose infant was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit for any reason (e.g., respiratory distress).