Moss, B., Henry, L., Davies, C. orcid.org/0000-0001-9347-7905 et al. (10 more authors) (Cover date: 2 January, 2025) ‘I just had to park up at the hospital and leave her’: retrospective interview study of pregnancy, birth and parenting during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. Journal of Family and Child Health, 2 (1). pp. 20-29. ISSN 3049-5210
Abstract
Lockdown restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on many aspects of people's lives. In the UK, evidence showed higher rates of stress and depression among parents during restrictions. Disruption to early years education affected preschoolers' language and cognitive development, and associations between parental health and child behaviour were apparent. The longer-term consequences on infants born during the pandemic restrictions, who are now approaching school age, are not yet known. This study focused on parents' retrospective reflections of the pandemic, and aimed to explore the longer-term effects of lockdown restrictions on children and families. The study followed a retrospective, qualitative interview design. Recruitment sampling ensured views were gathered from people of different genders, sexual orientations, birth/adoptive status and geographic areas. Seventeen participants were interviewed. Three overarching themes emerged: navigating antenatal and postnatal care alone; difficult decisions when caring for an infant and the long shadow on the family. Major issues which emerged included attending antenatal appointments – and in some cases giving birth – alone; limited postnatal care; disrupted parental leave; changes in employment and strained relationships. In the event of a future pandemic, restrictions should accommodate couples from the same household more pragmatically, and children's developmental checks should not be deprioritised. Finally, as part of post-pandemic provision, in-person antenatal and postnatal care and consistent early years provision remain vital services which must be acknowledged.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | This item is protected by copyright. This is an author produced version of an article published in the Journal of Family and Child Health. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Pregnancy, Birth, Parenting, COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, Qualitative interviews |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Languages Cultures & Societies (Leeds) > Linguistics & Phonetics (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) ES/Y001400/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 24 Jan 2025 16:58 |
Last Modified: | 07 Mar 2025 15:30 |
Published Version: | https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/full/10.12968... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Mark Allen Group |
Identification Number: | 10.12968/jfch.2025.2.1.20 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:222240 |
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Filename: Moss_etal_2025_JFCH_AAM_Catherine Davies.pdf
