gms | German Medical Science

Background: In Germany, women can have up to 44 appointments with a midwife at home in the first nine month/ until the end of the breastfeeding period after childbirth [1]. However, women must independently find a midwife for postpartum care. This is made more difficult by the current lack of midwife care in Germany. The independent search and limited availability of midwife care may be a challenge for women with a migration background (MB) or low socioeconomic status (SES) [2].

Aim/Research Question: How many women make use of home-based midwifery care after childbirth, and to what extent? What barriers occur? What influence does MB or low SES have on access to and use of midwifery services?

Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, women were surveyed four to eight months after birth (between May and December 2018) about their utilization and experience with midwifery care. 1873 women participated in the study. 1783 questionnaires could be included in the analysis.

Uni- and multivariate analysis were carried out with SPSS 24.0. The study was funded by the Landeszentrum für Gesundheit, NRW (LZG.NRW). There was an ethical clearing.

Results: The following results will be presented at the conference: Access, use, and continuity of postpartum midwifery care. As well as the use of eHealth, the satisfaction with care and correlations between the use and the health-related quality of life. In addition, the influence of MB and SES on these variables will be presented.

Relevance: The model of postpartum care in Germany is, in its extent, worldwide unique. But do vulnerable groups who may need this support most urgently also receive adequate midwifery care?

Recommendations/Recapitulation: Access for vulnerable groups should be improved.

Ethics and conflicts of interest: A vote on ethics was obtained. The research was supported by external funding. There are no conflicts of interest.