Purpose

This study aimed to elucidate the infection control measures implemented for the care of perinatal women in obstetric facilities in Iwate Prefecture during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic during June–September, 2020.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted for nurse administrators in charge of perinatal care at medical institutions dealing with childbirth in Iwate Prefecture. This survey collected information regarding the measures implemented to prevent COVID-19 infections and the maternity care provided during June–September, 2020.

Results

This analysis included 17 facilities, comprising 11 maternal and perinatal care centers and general hospitals and 6 clinics. Of these, 16 either had established or were in the process of developing a basic policy for the perinatal women suspected of COVID-19. This policy included recommendations, such as treating COVID-19-suspected perinatal women in an outpatient fever clinic, installing consultation booths, and using staggered appointments. For perinatal women, the facilities had adopted restrictive measures, such as changing group parenting classes to individual ones and prohibiting visitors to the labor, delivery, and postpartum units. However, they also implemented active measures to enhance patient comfort and emotional security, such as providing thorough explanations and psychological support and using information and communication technology (ICT) to allow family members to share the joys of childbirth remotely. Nevertheless, the staff was anxious about the shortage of personal protective equipment and whether they could provide appropriate care when they encountered an actual COVID-19-positive patient. Nurses took further self-care measures such as recording their body temperature daily and refraining from out-of-prefecture travel.

Conclusions

During this survey, Iwate Prefecture had only confirmed some of its earliest cases of COVID-19. However, the majority of the perinatal facilities surveyed had already established anti-COVID-19 policies. As for maternal care, group parenting classes were switched to individual classes. Furthermore, attempts were made to reduce the stress of the perinatal women due to isolation from their family and friends by providing more extensive mental support through ICT and increasing their conversation time with them.

Although the nurses felt burdened working under conditions of shortage of staff and personal protective equipment, they not only continued to provide care to the perinatal women, but also presented ingenuity in the face of limited resources. Nonetheless, the anxiousness and nervousness of providing appropriate care to actual COVID-19-positive patients remained.