Infection Prevention in Maternity Care: A Call for Action

The modern world still loses far too many lives to maternal infections for a world more technologically adept and economically progressed than ever before. 

In Australia specifically, 9% of maternal deaths were related to maternity infections[i], with that figure rising to 11% worldwide. 

Cases may not always lead to death; however, cases usually require hospital admission for treatment. 

The risk of infection can be aggravated by issues and complications such as prolonged labour or early rupture of membranes, multiple vaginal examinations during labour, damaged or dead skin tissue, and fragments of placenta remaining in the womb after delivery. 

However, these risks could and should be reduced by addressing fundamental issues such as improving standards of handwashing and general hygiene in the days following delivery, reducing exposure to staff and visitors with known infections,[ii] and investment in additional infection prevention measures such as environmental cleaning and disinfection. 

Staff that interact with those who give birth and parents in the days following childbirth play an important role practicing good hygiene to prevent and control harmful bacteria. 

Hygiene is all the more critical for those with other children at home. 

Care should be taken to avoid infections more prevalent among children, such as colds, flu, gastro, or cytomegalovirus, by maintaining a clean environment and regular hand washing (for at least 15 seconds).[iii] 

One should pay particular attention to hygiene when aiding a child in the bathroom, wiping a child’s nose or mouth, touching children’s toys, touching trash and laundry, touching animals, and while near soil.[iv] 

Health care providers can reduce bacterial and viral contamination on surfaces and equipment by cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched areas before and after use, providing confidence to new parents that germs have been wiped away. 

References:

i https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mothers-babies/maternal-deaths-in-australia/contents/maternal-deaths-in-australia 

ii https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/factsheets/Pages/maternalsepsis.aspx 

iii https://www.uptodate.com/contents/avoiding-infections-in-pregnancy-beyond-the-basics 

iv https://www.uptodate.com/contents/avoiding-infections-in-pregnancy-beyond-the-basics