IMAgiNE EURO: Data for action on quality of maternal and newborn care in 20 European countries during the COVID‐19 pandemic

Experience of care is an essential component of quality health care.1 In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched “Standards for improving quality of maternal and newborn care in health facilities”, with domains inclusive of dignity, communication, autonomy, and emotional support.2 A growing body of research highlights the importance of a positive care experience for women and providers, as well as the need for effective interventions to improve outcomes for women, newborns, and stillborn infants.3,4 The early months of the COVID19 pandemic were filled with many concerns from families, health workers, and public health experts.5 For maternal and newborn health, in addition to unknowns about SARSCoV2 susceptibility in pregnant women, vertical transmission, and disease severity among women and newborns, many questions arose about how to reduce transmission risk in maternal and newborn health facilities. In the face of uncertain and evolving scientific evidence, and in some cases insufficient protective equipment for patients and providers, different countries and health facilities took different approaches, with some implementing very restrictive policies.6 This was in addition to general lockdown policies limiting movement, work, transport and, more specifically in the health sector, reassignment of various health workers to COVID19related duties. In maternity care services,7 contrary to the WHO/ UNICEF BabyFriendly Hospital Initiative guidance, some of these restrictions included excluding a companion of choice and not allowing family members to visit, separation of mothers and newborns (even where COVID19 had not been suspected), and discouraging breastfeeding.8– 10