Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Pandemics are known to cause stress and anxiety in pregnant women. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown of the Danish society, pregnant women were considered to be at increased risk, and access to antenatal care changed. METHODS: On 8 April 2020A, a questionnaire was sent to 332 pregnant women previously sampled by general practitioners in two Danish regions. The women were contacted via secured e-mail (e-Boks), and questionnaires were returned until 6 May. RESULTS: The questionnaire was returned by 257 women (77%). More than half believed that they were at a high risk ofinfection with COVID-19, and a third of the women were concerned about the risk of serious disease – especially for their unborn child. Almost 90% isolated at home most of the time. The majority were worried about possible consequences of the pandemic for antenatal care, but very few had actually missed a scheduled preventive consultation with their general practitioner, and only 15% had missed an appointment with their midwife. The majority of the women preferred normal consultations and found no added safety in shifting the consultation from the normal clinical setting. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown have had a major impact on Danish pregnant women. Even so, concerns were more focused on access to care than on the risk of COVID-19 infection. Contacts with the antenatal healthcare system have only been moderately affected.
Original language | English |
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Article number | A06200449 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Danish Medical Journal |
Volume | 67 |
Issue number | 12 |
Publication status | Published - 20 Nov 2020 |
Bibliographical note
FUNDING: TRYG Foundation and KEU, Region CopenhagenACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Sinead Shahrzad, a Danish-English bilingual did the proofreading of the translation of questionnaires into DANISH MEDICAL JOURNAL Dan Med J 2020;67(12):A06200449 6/7
English.