Visiting Hours and Visitor Numbers During the Postnatal Period: The Basis for a Patient-Centred Visiting Policy on...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many hospitals introduced restrictive visiting arrangements to reduce the risk of infection. This situation provided an opportunity to assess the acceptance of clearly defined visiting hours and visitor numbers on the postnatal ward. The aim of this study was to examine these regulations from the perspective of postpartum women and their support persons, and to identify implications for a sustainable long-term visiting policy.

A single-centre retrospective survey study enrolled women who had given birth at the Perinatal Centre of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Hospital between October 2020 and December 2021. Data were collected 1-2 years postpartum using a purpose-designed, standardised and internally piloted questionnaire. The number of visitors, visiting hours and subjectively perceived effects on well-being, breastfeeding and the mother-child bond were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale. In addition, exploratory subgroup analyses were carried out on obstetric and sociodemographic parameters.

540 questionnaires were analysed (response rate 26.9%). The restriction on visitor numbers was viewed positively overall (postpartum women: mean 2.2; support persons: mean 2.4), whilst the time restrictions were viewed more critically (mean 3.0 and 3.2 respectively). Primiparous women, postpartum women who experienced complications, those who had undergone an unscheduled cesarean, and those whose newborns had been admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit rated the restrictions significantly more negatively. The reported effects on rest, well-being, breastfeeding and bonding were based solely on subjective assessments.

Limited visitor numbers are generally viewed positively during the postnatal period, whereas strict time restrictions are viewed more critically. The findings support a structured yet flexible visiting policy that prioritises the involvement of close support persons and allows for exceptions in cases with difficult clinical courses. Given the retrospective design, the response rate and the exclusively subjective end points, causal statements can only be made to a limited extent.