Impact of COVID-19 Institutional Isolation Measures on Postnatal Women in Level 3 COVID Facility in Northern India

Aim: The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced many aspects of a woman’s life. The aim of the present study was to explore whether hospital isolation and containment policies among women giving birth in COVID‐19 Level 3 facility enhanced psycho‐emotional distress in the immediate postpartum period. Methodology: The study was designed as an observational study. All women giving birth at Santosh Hospital, a Level 3 COVID facility in Ghaziabad, from June 2020 to October 2020, were studied. Data collection was done by a pretested structured questionnaire which was administered to the participants in isolation ward on the second postpartum day. The women were interrogated regarding the experiences of the COVID isolation ward with special reference to the problems faced during their stay there, the anxiety for the baby, loneliness, and other factors. The women were evaluated using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Result: The study group comprised 61 women who delivered in our hospital. The mean age of the subjects was 24.2 ± 1.2 years. In the study, majority of the patients were distressed with loneliness (54%) and anxiety for the baby (43%). As the policy of the institution was to hand over the newborn baby immediately to the attendants, the mother was bound to be distressed. Sleeplessness, loss of appetite, and boredom were other problems faced by the COVID-positive patients. The incidence of postnatal depression was 24.5% during COVID-19 pandemic in this institution. In the study, we found that patients with postnatal complications, patients who had symptoms of COVID, whose baby was handed over to the attendants, postpartum stay more than 7 days, and inability to connect to the family had a statistically significant correlation with those who had EPDS score >13. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that perinatal mental health and well-being needs to be protected during this time.