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| LETTERS TO EDITOR |
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| Year : 2020 | Volume
: 10
| Issue : 2 | Page : 146-147 |
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Virtual husband during delivery! Another COVID modification
Ketan S Parikh
Department of Anesthesia, Consultant Obstetric Anesthesiologist, Breach Candy Hospital and Charitable Trust, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| Date of Submission | 08-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 16-Jul-2020 |
| Date of Web Publication | 20-Aug-2020 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Ketan S Parikh
15, Asha Mahal, 46-B, Pedder Road, Mumbai - 400 026, Maharashtra
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/joacc.JOACC_63_20
How to cite this article:
Parikh KS. Virtual husband during delivery! Another COVID modification. J Obstet Anaesth Crit Care 2020;10:146-7 |
Dear Sir,
The world is going through a very difficult time of extreme anxiety and uncertainty due to the present Covid-19 crisis. Even though all elective medical and surgical procedures are being postponed, obstetric deliveries and cesarian sections are still being carried out under stress and with due precautions. The presence of husband in the operation theater during a cesarian section adds immense value to maternal satisfaction and overall birth experience. In order to maintain social distancing and avoiding overcrowding during the current pandemic, one of the steps being implemented is to prevent the husband from accompanying the parturient inside the operation theater. This has had an adverse effect of the mental status of the parturient who are already stressed due to obvious reasons.
In my practice, I have started allowing the husband to enter the operation theater “digitally” while maintaining safe physical distancing. A simple mobile phone holder attached to the IV stand is all that is required, as shown in the image [Figure 1]. Once the spinal anesthesia has been given, patient has been prepped and draped, and surgical anesthesia has been established satisfactorily, a video call is placed from the parturient's phone and the couple is allowed to digitally be together, consoling and comforting each other through the birth of the newborn. This call continues till the newborn is given to the mother and later taken to the nursery. The husband can either take screenshots or use a screen recorder to store this priceless moment that they will cherish forever [Figure 2].
This has been received with lots of joy and excitement by couples and obstetricians alike. There are some hospitals and even anesthesiologists, who feel that the husbands should not be allowed in the operation theater in the first place—for reasons best known to them. I think even they should not have any objection to using this inexpensive and simple way of making the cesarian birth a joyful and memorable event while contributing positively to maternal satisfaction.
We live in ever more progressive times in which fathers are playing more active roles in raising their children and sharing the responsibility of child bearing. Initiating this first, small step—allowing them to be part of the beginning of their journey as fathers—is the first opportunity for them to feel connected to their babies.
The usefulness of this simple modification can be extrapolated during normal delivery as well. I think this very small gesture on our part can help the couple to collectively experience the memorable last leg of a chapter that has been embarked on together, and to maintain that support system for the mother until the end—and into the new beginning!
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
[Figure 1], [Figure 2]
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