The effects of continuity of care on the health of mother and child in the postnatal period: a systematic review
Open accessAbstract
Background: Continuity of care (COC) is essential for high-quality patient care in the perinatal period. Insights in the effects of COC models on patient outcomes are important to direct perinatal healthcare organization. To our knowledge, no previous review has listed the effects of COC on the physical and mental health of mother and child in the postnatal period. Methods: A search was conducted in four databases (PubMed, Web of Knowledge, CENTRAL and CINAHL), from 2000 to 2018. Studies were included if: participants were healthy mothers or newborns with a gestational age between 37–42 weeks; they covered the perinatal period and aimed to measure breastfeeding or any outcome related to the maternal/newborn physical or mental health. At least one of the three COC types (management, informational and relationship) was identified in the intervention. The methodological quality was assessed. Results: Ten articles were included. COC is mostly present in the identified care models. The effects of COC on the outcomes of mother and child in the postnatal period seem mostly to be positive, although not always significant. The relation between COC and the outcomes can be influenced by confounding factors, like the socio-economic status of the included population. Interventions with COC during pregnancy appear to be more effective for all the studied outcome factors. Conclusion: COC as management, relational and informational continuity starting antenatal has the most impact on the postnatal outcomes of mother and child.
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Care in terms of the three types of continuity in postnatal care has shown that parents want to have access to care based on their own needs.
“Care in terms of the three types of continuity in postnatal care has shown that parents want to have access to care based on their own needs [33, 34, 40].”
From Support during the postnatal period: Evaluating new mothers' and midwives' experiences of a new, coordinated postnatal care model in a midwifery clinic in Sweden (2023) · cites this paper as [34]
The Definition of continuity of care section identifies three types of continuity, and the Introduction describes care that fits a woman’s health needs and reports dissatisfaction with non-individualized advice. The review does not establish the broader claim that parents, as a group, want access to care based on their own needs; its discussion of needs and preferences centers on women receiving postnatal care. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThere is evidence that continuity of care starting in the prenatal period has a great impact on mothers' mental and physical health, especially when the three types of continuity were highlighted together.
“There is evidence that continuity of care starting in the prenatal period has a great impact on mothers' mental and physical health, especially when the three types of continuity were highlighted together [34].”
From Support during the postnatal period: Evaluating new mothers' and midwives' experiences of a new, coordinated postnatal care model in a midwifery clinic in Sweden (2023) · cites this paper as [34]
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports better postnatal maternal health and mental health when all three types of continuity were offered, and says antenatal-start models had positive effects on these outcomes. But it also says the effects were not always significant; the maternal mental-health results report no significant difference in most studies. Calling the impact “great” overstates that mixed evidence. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredA systematic review studying the effects of continuity of care in the postnatal period emphasises that management, informational and relational continuity that started during pregnancy was effective and had a great impact on the postnatal health of the mother and child.
“A systematic review studying the effects of continuity of care in the postnatal period emphasises that management, informational and relational continuity that started during pregnancy was effective and had a great impact on the postnatal health of the mother and child [34]”
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- Authors
- D’haenens, F., Van Rompaey, B., Swinnen, E., Dilles, T., & Beeckman, K.
- Affiliations
- Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts (BE)
- Department of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences, Centre for Research and Innovation in Care, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE)
- University of Antwerp (BE)
- Corresponding author
- D’haenens, Florence
- Venue
- European Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2019-05-23
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 749-760
- ISSN
- 1101-1262 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-360X
- OpenAlex
- W2944956118
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2
- FWCI
- 0.67
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- European Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- VUBIR (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Erasmus University College Brussels
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Obstetrics and Gynecology › Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Keywords
- continuity of care, postpartum care, maternal health, newborn health, breastfeeding, perinatal care organization, prenatal care, maternal mental health, socioeconomic status
- MeSH terms
- Child, Continuity of Patient Care, Female, Gestational Age, Humans, Infant, Infant, Newborn, Mothers, Pregnancy
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