Impact of family support on delivery outcomes of antenatal attendees in our Lady of Apostles (O.L.A.) Hospital, Jos. Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy and delivery constitute a period of significant life changes in women with associated major physiological adjustments often associated with anxiety and stress. Providing family support by husbands/family members to the women is expected to reduce this stress and improve delivery outcomes. Objective: The general objective was to determine the impact of family support for pregnant women on delivery outcomes in Our Lady of Apostles Hospital Jos, as a step towards reducing infant and maternal mortality in Nigeria. Method: It was a prospective cross sectional study of 350 pregnant women who were recruited at the ANC and followed up till delivery. All participants completed the study. The level of family support was assessed using a questionnaire and the delivery outcomes measured. There were three levels of family support (ie strong, weak and none). Maternal delivery outcomes included maternal morbidity/mortality, duration of labour and mode/route of delivery. Fetal outcomes included gestational age at birth, delivery status of fetus, birth weight, Apgar score and fetal morbidity/mortality at birth. Results: There was a significant difference in both maternal and fetal delivery outcomes in relation to the various levels of family support at p-value of 0.01. Strong family support impacted positively on the delivery outcomes while weak/no family support impacted negatively. Conclusion: Delivery outcomes can be improved by strengthening the family support systems for women.