Perinatal support for couples during COVID-19: A descriptive qualitative study

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To explore the perspectives of parents during the perinatal period amid the COVID-19 pandemic and explore the experiences of Singaporean parents receiving perinatal support via the Supportive Parenting App (SPA).

Background: The stressors accompanying parenting responsibilities often affect the overall well-being of the family unit. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Singaporean parents are forced to shoulder childcare responsibilities with minimal support due to safety restrictions. The Supportive Parenting Application (SPA) was introduced to parents during the start of the pandemic to offer timely additional support. It is a mobile health application-based educational support for parents across the perinatal period, consisting of features such as peer support, expert advice and discussion forums.

Design: Descriptive qualitative study.

Methods: Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted with 33 parents (16 from the control group, 17 from the intervention group) in an ongoing randomised controlled trial between June 2021 and February 2022. The COREQ checklist was used to guide the reporting of the data.

Results: Four themes with 10 subthemes describing the perinatal experiences of parents were identified. The themes include 'Ups and downs' of parenting experiences; Perinatal care from 'best care' to 'flying blind'; What kept couples going and Use of technology-a way forward.

Conclusion: Although COVID-19 negatively affected parents' availability of care and support, most could still access other support sources to help them. Additionally, the SPA was found to be a dependable information source for the intervention group parents. Future research could work on improving technology-based support based on the feedback given to offer better quality perinatal care for parents.

Relevance to clinical practice: Technology-based support provided by healthcare professionals helps provide reliable perinatal information and support for parents. More efforts should be directed towards developing quality informational resources and support to improve perinatal care.

Patient or public contribution: Patients/members of the public contributed to the data collected and were involved in member checking to ensure the rigour of the study.

Clinical trial registration number: NHG DSRB: 2019/00875.

Keywords: COVID-19; education; mobile health; parenting; perinatal support; technology.