Investigating the Status of Mothers and Newborns' Access to Safe and Quality Care from the Perspective of Midwifery Personnel Working in Government Hospitals: A Cross-sectional Study

The present study was conducted to determine the status of mothers’ and newborns' access to safe and quality care from the perspective of midwifery personnel.

Safe and quality care is recognized as a principle in providing healthcare to mothers and newborns.

This was a cross-sectional study conducted through random sampling on 270 midwifery personnel working in government hospitals of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences in 2023. The data were collected using a questionnaire created by a researcher and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests in SPSS-22 statistical software at a significance level of less than 0.05.

The average age of the participants was 34.41 ± 7.93 years. The results showed the status of mothers' and newborns' access to safe and quality care to be in the average range of 38.30 ± 6.67. The midwifery personnel have demonstrated adherence to scientific and specialized protocols regarding the way for childbirth and how to care for mothers and newborns to be the most frequent (51.5%), while the provision of emotional and psychological support to women who have given birth with newborn problems to be the least frequent (8.5%).

Midwifery personnel believe that the safe and quality care provided to mothers and newborns is adequate. Midwifery personnel are committed to following evidence-based practices, but need additional training and resources to support women in need emotionally and psychologically. This is particularly concerning given the potential impact of maternal mental health on both the mother and the newborn.