gms | German Medical Science

Background: While most mothers and fathers experience the birth of a child as positive, there is a significant proportion of parents for whom birth is a negative and sometimes even traumatic event. In addition to various health and socioeconomic factors, the interaction between the woman giving birth, the person accompanying her, and the midwives and gynecologists also plays an important role.

Aim/research question: The aim of the interdisciplinary project RESPECT (“A Prospective Mixed-Methods-REsearch Project on Subjective Birth Experience and PErson-centred Care in ParenTs and Obstetric Health Care Staff”) is a targeted investigation of the subjective birth experience of (expectant) parents in the area of Dresden, especially in relation to the role of obstetric staff, as well as associated factors before, during, and after birth (e.g. parental mental health, partnership satisfaction, or parent-child bonding). In addition, the perspective of obstetric staff regarding person-centered obstetric care and their role in parents’ subjective experience of childbirth will be explored.

Methods: RESPECTPARENTS is a longitudinal cohort study in which 1.680 (expectant) mothers and 880 partners will be surveyed at four assessment points (T1: late pregnancy, T2: 8 weeks, T3: 6 months, T4: 24 months postpartum) using online questionnaires (T1, T3 and T4) and a structured telephone interview (T2). Subjects are recruited primarily at the University Hospital Dresden and two other hospitals as well as a birth center in the Dresden area. The main study will be complemented by two sub-studies in which both parents (RESPECTPARENTS-TALK) and obstetric staff (RESPECTSTAFF) will be surveyed using qualitative guideline interviews.

Results: Recruitment started in April 2023. By August 2023, more than 500 subjects have been enrolled. The survey of obstetric staff will be conducted from the end of 2023. In our talk, we will present the study design and first results (T1/T2) of the main study.

Relevance: While a positive birth experience is associated with feelings of satisfaction and empowerment, negative experiences can result in lowered self-esteem, difficulties with breastfeeding and, in some cases, psychological complaints (e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder or depression). RESPECT allows the recording of the subjective birth experience of both parents over time in a large mixed-methods study, taking into account the perspectives of both (expectant) parents and the obstetric staff. Qualitative interviews complementing the quantitative main study can provide an in-depth picture of the subjective birth experience.

Recommendations/conclusion: The data will provide meaningful insights into both parents’ subjective birth experience in Germany and its health-related effects. The findings can contribute to develop measures and support services to improve the obstetric health care in accordance with the national health goal “Health around childbirth”.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: An ethics vote was obtained from the ethics committee at TU Dresden (ref: SR-EK-331072022). The project is supported by the German Federal Ministry of Health (BMG). There are no conflicts of interest.