Effect of a Respectful Maternity Care-Based Action Plan in Postpartum Care on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

The Effect of the Action Plan Developed Within the Framework of Respectful Maternity Care in Postpartum Care on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

This study will examine whether a Respectful Maternity Care-based action plan can improve the quality of postpartum care and maternal and newborn outcomes. Nurses and midwives will receive a three-day interactive training about respectful, evidence-based postpartum care. After training, a unit-level action plan will be implemented, including supportive visits, educational materials, and feedback meetings. Women receiving routine postpartum care before the intervention will be compared with women receiving care after implementation. Outcomes will include respectful maternity care experiences, maternal satisfaction, exclusive breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks, maternal mental health, mother-infant bonding, and postpartum complications. The goal of this study is to promote respectful, high-quality postpartum care and improve the health and well-being of mothers and newborns.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Breastfeeding; Maternal Satisfaction; Postpartum Care; Quality of Care; Newborn Health; Postpartum Depression (PPD); Maternal Health Care
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Respectful Maternity Care Training and Action Plan

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 500
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: İlayda Sel Bilim, MSc, RN; Phone Number: +90 530 844 95 27; Email: ilayda.sel@iuc.edu.tr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: İlkay Güngör Satılmış, Prof.; Phone Number: 27205 +90 212 224 2618; Email: ilkay.gungorsatilmis@iuc.edu.tr

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital
    • Contact: Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital; Phone Number: +90 212 414 71 71; Email: istanbuleah3.biis@saglik.gov.tr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Postpartum women aged 18 years and older
• Gave birth at 37-42 gestational weeks (vaginal or cesarean)
• Have a single, healthy newborn
• No chronic medical conditions
• No history of high-risk pregnancy or fetal complications
• No communication barriers (e.g., visual or hearing impairment)
• Able to speak and understand Turkish
• Literate and able to read and write in Turkish

Exclusion Criteria:

• Development of maternal or neonatal complications during the postpartum follow-up period
• Inability to reach the mother at the 8-week postpartum follow-up

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control: Routine Postpartum Care; Participants in this arm will receive routine postpartum care practices currently provided at the study site, without exposure to the respectful maternity care training or action plan components. Usual clinical care protocols and standard postpartum follow-up procedures will be applied.
Experimental: Intervention: Respectful Maternity Care Action Plan; Participants in this arm will receive postpartum care delivered by nurses and midwives trained in the Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) Action Plan. The intervention includes structured training for postpartum professionals, implementation of evidence-based respectful maternity practices, and application of the developed RMC program content and postpartum care forms. Care will emphasize dignity, privacy, informed consent, emotional support, newborn bonding, breastfeeding support, and person-centered communication.	Behavioral: Respectful Maternity Care Training and Action Plan; This intervention involves a structured Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) training program for nurses and midwives, followed by the implementation of an evidence-based RMC action plan during postpartum care. The training includes modules on dignity, privacy, informed consent, effective communication, emotional support, newborn bonding and breastfeeding support, and person-centered postpartum practices. Participants in the intervention arm will receive postpartum care according to the RMC guidelines and structured care forms developed for the study.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Respectful Maternity Care Score	Respectful maternity care will be assessed using the Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) scale, which evaluates dignity, privacy, informed consent, emotional support, communication, and person-centered postpartum practices. Higher scores indicate higher levels of respectful maternity care.	Baseline (within 24 hours postpartum) and 6 weeks postpartum

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Maternal Satisfaction with Postpartum Care	Maternal satisfaction with postpartum care will be assessed using a validated postpartum satisfaction questionnaire, measuring perceptions of communication, emotional support, involvement in care, and overall satisfaction with hospital postpartum services. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.	At discharge (within 48 hours postpartum)
Postpartum Depression Score	Depressive symptoms will be evaluated using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS). Higher scores indicate higher depressive symptoms. A cutoff score of ≥13 suggests risk of postpartum depression.	6 weeks postpartum
Adherence to Evidence-Based Postpartum Care Practices	A structured postpartum care checklist will be used to evaluate compliance with respectful and evidence-based postpartum care practices (privacy, informed consent, emotional support, newborn bonding, breastfeeding support, early mobilization, postpartum monitoring). Higher scores indicate greater adherence to evidence-based guidelines.	Immediately postpartum (within 24 hours)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: ilayda sel
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: İlayda Sel Bilim, MSc, RN, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa; Study Chair: İlkay Güngör Satılmış, Prof., Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Bohren MA, Vogel JP, Hunter EC, Lutsiv O, Makh SK, Souza JP, Aguiar C, Saraiva Coneglian F, Diniz AL, Tuncalp O, Javadi D, Oladapo OT, Khosla R, Hindin MJ, Gulmezoglu AM. The Mistreatment of Women during Childbirth in Health Facilities Globally: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. PLoS Med. 2015 Jun 30;12(6):e1001847; discussion e1001847. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001847. eCollection 2015 Jun.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): December 10, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 1, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 1, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 12, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 12, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 1, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Maternal Health; Postpartum Care; Newborn Health; Respectful Maternity Care
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Mental Disorders; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Pregnancy Complications; Mood Disorders; Puerperal Disorders; Depressive Disorder; Behavior; Feeding Behavior; Depression, Postpartum; Breast Feeding
• Other Study ID Numbers: ISB-WH-02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: No, individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared. Due to ethical considerations and the sensitive nature of maternal and postpartum health data, participant confidentiality will be strictly protected. Only aggregated results will be published, and data access will remain restricted to the study team in accordance with ethical approval.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No