Views on involving a social support person during labor in Zambian maternities

Because social support persons are excluded from modem obstetric care in Za mbia. the aim of this study was to explore the views of 84 mothers and 40 h ealth staff about allowing women to be attended by a supportive companion d uring labor in Zambian urban and rural maternities. Most of the mothers wan ted a companion present to provide emotional and practical support. Those w ho were opposed to the idea had nobody to ask to be with them, or they had relatives who would interfere with the care provided. All health staff cited hospital policy as the principal reason for prohibit ing social support persons from staying with laboring women. They also said that the health staff's role is to care for laboring women, and they worri ed that social support persons could interfere with their work by giving th e laboring women traditional medicine. However. most health staff also said that a social support person could help the laboring women and give her a sense of security. The study concludes that Zambian maternity staff should be exposed to new r esearch findings about the benefits of social support during childbirth and that this practice should be encouraged in Zambia. Ultimately, it should b e the laboring woman who decides whether she wants to bring a social suppor t person to the labor ward. (C) 2001 by the American College of Nurse-Midwi ves.