Pregnancy, Birth and the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

How quickly and in what ways are US maternity care practices changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Our data indicate that partners and doulas are being excluded from birthing rooms leaving mothers unsupported, while providers face lack of protective equipment and unclear guidelines. We investigate...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Medical anthropology 2020-07, Vol.39 (5), p.413-427
Main Authors: Davis-Floyd, Robbie, Gutschow, Kim, Schwartz, David A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Betacoronavirus
birth
Births
Coronavirus Infections - complications
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections - psychology
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Decision making
Delivery, Obstetric
Disasters
Doulas
Fear
Female
freebirth
Home Childbirth
homebirth
Hospitals
Humans
Maternal child nursing
Maternal Health Services
maternity care
Midwifery
midwives
Mothers
obstetricians
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral - complications
Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral - psychology
Policy making
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - epidemiology
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious - virology
SARS-CoV-2
United States - epidemiology
Women
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Summary:How quickly and in what ways are US maternity care practices changing due to the COVID-19 pandemic? Our data indicate that partners and doulas are being excluded from birthing rooms leaving mothers unsupported, while providers face lack of protective equipment and unclear guidelines. We investigate rapidly shifting protocols for in- and out-of-hospital births and the decision making behind them. We ask, will COVID-19 cause women, families, and providers to look at birthing in a different light? And will this pandemic offer a testing ground for future policy changes to generate effective maternity care amidst pandemics and other types of disasters?
ISSN:0145-9740
1545-5882
DOI:10.1080/01459740.2020.1761804