Karolina Linden

University of Gothenburg | GU · Institute of Health and Care Sciences

Background The World Health Organisation states that newborns should receive colostrum as soon as possible after birth. However, among newborns needing neonatal intensive care, initiation of lactation and access to colostrum might be delayed. At the centre of this study, a tertiary care hospital in Sweden (10,000 deliveries/year), few admitted infa...

Introduction Maternal‐neonatal healthcare services were severely disrupted during the COVID‐19 pandemic in even high‐income countries within the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. The objective of this study was to compare trends in the quality of maternal and neonatal care (QMNC) in Sweden and Norway to 12 other countries from the WH...

Background Health workers’ (HWs’) perspectives on the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) are not routinely collected. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to document HWs' perspectives on QMNC around childbirth in 12 World Health Organization (WHO) European countries. Methods HWs involved in maternal/neonatal care for at least one year...

Background Due to changes in Swedish maternity care during the COVID-19 pandemic, partners were often excluded from antenatal and postnatal care. Aim To explore partners’ experiences of pregnancy, labour, and postnatal care in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Methods A descriptive qualitative interview study with 15 partners of wom...

Introduction Women with type 1 diabetes have an increased risk of preeclampsia (PE), but it is not fully understood if degree of glycemic control is associated with this risk. The aim of this study was to assess glycemic control during pregnancy analyzed by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in women with and without PE and to investigate if glyce...

This study presents an overview of how the issue of obstetric and gynaecological violence is currently being apprehended in the EU. Based on research carried out across the EU 27 Member States, it identifies issues and challenges; looks at the legal framework currently applicable to this form of violence; examines ongoing political and legal develo...

Background To prevent the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2, hospitals around the world adopted protocols that, in varying ways, resulted in the exclusion of partners from hospital postnatal care wards. The objective of this study was to examine the effect this exclusion had on partners' satisfaction with postnatal care. Methods An online survey (the Swedish P...

Aim This systematic literature review aimed to identify, appraise and synthesize available research studies that apply intersectionality in nursing research. Design Systematic review. Data Sources Empirical and theoretical nursing studies published before February 2022 were identified from the PubMed and CINAHL databases. Studies were eligible fo...

Background Healthcare workers (HCWs) at infectious disease departments have held the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to maintaining the employees’ wellbeing that may be used to increase preparedness for future pandemics within ID Departments. Methods In September 2020, a web-based surv...

Background: Pre-eclampsia affects 3-5% of all pregnant women and is among the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality as well as iatrogenic preterm birth worldwide. Little is known about the experience of partners of women whose pregnancy is complicated by pre-eclampsia. Aim: To describe partners' experience of having a spouse whose p...

Objective To describe the study design of the COPE Staff cohort study on working conditions for maternal and neonatal healthcare workers (MNHCWs), and present baseline data regarding job satisfaction, work‐life conflicts, stress, and burnout. Methods Between January and April 2021, 957 MNHCWs (administrative and medical staff) completed a baseline...

Parents are not only caregivers to their children; they also have leisure routines that can impact their own well-being. However, little is known about how leisure activities change within the context of a couple during the transition to parenthood. This study uses latent growth curve models and data from the Swedish Pregnancy Panel to examine how...

Objective To explore the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID‐19 pandemic by facility type among 16 European countries, comparing rates of instrumental vaginal birth and cesarean. Methods Women who gave birth in the WHO European Region from March 1, 2020, to February 7, 2022, answered a validated online questionnaire. Rates...

Objective To describe the perception of quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth among migrant and nonmigrant women in Europe. Methods Women who gave birth at a health facility in 11 countries of the WHO European Region from March 2020 to July 2021 were invited to answer an online questionnaire including demographi...

Objective To investigate potential associations between individual and country‐level factors and medicalization of birth in 15 European countries during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods Online anonymous survey of women who gave birth in 2020–2021. Multivariable multilevel logistic regression models estimating associations between indicators of medic...

Background Exclusive breastfeeding is the optimal infant nutrition, providing infants immunoprotection against many diseases including SARS-CoV-2 infection. Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic may have negatively affected breastfeeding practices in maternity care facilities. The aims of the study were to examine exclusive breastfeeding rates...

Background Maternal experience of labour and delivery is multidimensional and is influenced by a variety of factors. Aim to report maternal childbirth experience as described by the women themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden using a WHO Standards-based tool adapted for an online survey (Quality of maternal and newborn care-QMNC). Met...

Rationale Holistic antenatal care requires knowledge of individuals’ emotional response to pregnancy. Little is known about how a pregnant woman and her partner influence each other emotionally during a pregnancy. Objective This study examines six discrete emotions that expectant couples experience during pregnancy, how these emotions change mid-t...

Background: To outline how the training program and work situation of residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB-GYN) was affected by the pandemic and to illuminate how residents experienced these changes. Methods: As part of the COVID-19 in Pregnancy and Early Childhood Staff (COPE Staff) cohort study, between January and May 2021, all particip...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.lanepe.2021.100268.].

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate how the changed work routines during the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting the working environment for hospital-based maternity and neonatal health care workers, and to identify preventive measures to be used in future situations when health care organizations are under pressure. Methods All ma...

Objectives Develop and validate a WHO Standards-based online questionnaire to measure the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) around the time of childbirth from the health workers’ perspective. Design Mixed-methods study. Setting Six countries of the WHO European Region. Participants and methods The questionnaire is based on lessons lear...

Background Multi-country studies assessing the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as defined by WHO Standards, are lacking. Methods Women who gave birth in 12 countries of the WHO European Region from March 1, 2020 - March 15, 2021 answered an online questionnaire, including 40 WHO Standard-based Quality Meas...

Background and Problem Existing healthcare systems have been put under immense pressure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disruptions in essential maternal and newborn services have come from even high-income countries within the World Health Organization (WHO) European Region. Aim To describe the quality of care during pregnancy and childbirth, as re...

Introduction Pre-eclampsia, a multisystem disorder in pregnancy, is one of the most common causes of maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, we lack methods for objective assessment of organ function in pre-eclampsia and predictors of organ impairment during and after pre-eclampsia. The women’s and their partners’ experiences of pre-ec...

Introduction There is limited knowledge on how the SARS-CoV-2 affects pregnancy outcomes. Studies investigating the impact of COVID-19 in early pregnancy are scarce and information on long-term follow-up is lacking. The purpose of this project is to study the impact of COVID-19 on pregnancy outcomes and long-term maternal and child health by: (1) e...

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the emotional well-being of expecting mothers. Sweden’s unique strategy for managing COVID-19 involved no national lockdown. Emphasis was instead placed on limiting crowding and asking citizens to practice social distancing measures. Aim To gain a deeper understanding of how women not i...

Background Multi-country studies assessing the quality of maternal and newborn care (QMNC) during the COVID19 pandemic, as defined by WHO Standards, are lacking. Methods Women who gave birth in 12 countries of the WHO European Region from March 1, 2020 - March 15, 2021 answered an online questionnaire, including 40 WHO Standard-based Quality Measu...

Background One of the groups that is most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic is pregnant women. They cannot choose to refrain from care; they and their children are at risk of severe complications related to the virus; and they lose comfort and support as clinics prohibit their partners and as societal restrictions demand isolation from friends an...

Background One of the groups that is most vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic is pregnant women. They cannot choose to refrain from care; they and their children are at risk of severe complications related to the virus; and they lose comfort and support as clinics prohibit their partners and as societal restrictions demand isolation from friends an...

Background: To improve maternal health outcomes, highly competent healthcare providers are needed. One strategy used to improve performance among healthcare providers is simulation-based learning. An integrative review was designed with the aim of synthesising available research on Helping Mothers Survive (HMS), a learning programme used in low-inc...

How stable is gender identity when facing important gendered life events? In the study of gender identity, little research has focused on adulthood experiences that might modify or reinforce self-perceptions of gender traits. This article uses pregnancy and early parenthood to study stability and change in self-perceived female and male traits. We...

Antenatal clinics in western Sweden have recently invested in a birth method called Confident Birth. In this study, we investigate midwives' and first line managers' perceptions regarding the method, and identify opportunities and obstacles in its implementation. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with ten midwives and five first...

Women with pre-gestational diabetes face additional challenges after birth as they struggle with breastfeeding and managing unpredictable blood glucose levels. The aim of this study is to validate the Diabetes and Breastfeeding Management Questionnaire (DBM-Q). In total, 142 mothers with type 1 diabetes mellitus answered the questionnaire, which in...

Background: Numerous Web-based interventions have been implemented to promote health and health-related behaviors in persons with chronic conditions. Using randomized controlled trials to evaluate such interventions creates a range of challenges, which in turn can influence the study outcome. Applying a critical perspective when evaluating Web-bas...

Objectives: The aim was to explore and investigate associations between well-being, diabetes management and breastfeeding in mothers with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) up to six months postpartum. Methods: An explorative analysis of self-reported questionnaires measuring general well-being, sense of coherence, self-efficacy of diabetes managem...

Aims: To report results from and explore use of a multicentre, parallel-group, unblinded, randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness in terms of well-being and diabetes management of a person-centred, web-based support programme for women with Type 1 diabetes, in pregnancy and postpartum. Methods: Between 2011 and 2014, 174 pregnant w...

This paper explores well-being and diabetes management in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) in early pregnancy and investigates associations among perceived well-being, diabetes management, and maternal characteristics. Questionnaires were answered by 168 Swedish women. Correlation analyses were conducted with Spearman's correlation coeffici...

Women with type 1 diabetes face particular demands in their lives in relation to childbearing. During pregnancy, in order to optimize the probability of giving birth to a healthy child, their blood glucose levels need to be as normal as possible. After childbirth, they experience a 'double stress': in addition to the ordinary challenges they face a...

Background This paper describes the process of developing specifically designed web-based maternity information for women with type 1 diabetes. Methods A participatory design was used and the information was evaluated in seven stages by researchers, professional experts and users. All steps of the development process were noted in an online logboo...