Hospital-based spiritual care for mothers of neonates at RMBH in Eldoret, Kenya: A situational analysis

Abstract

Although the World Health Organization defines health holistically (WHO 2016), and although a positive relationship exists between spirituality and health, maternity care globally focuses on physical and psychological care while excluding spiritual care. In Kenya, spiritual care in hospital settings has received little attention. Yet, cross-culturally, childbearing and motherhood are perceived to be highly spiritual events, but which may be traumatic especially if obstetric complications, postpartum depression, and death occur. Spiritual care is positively associated with patients’ abil- ity to cope with negative experiences but also with a healthy birth process with opti- mal outcomes. Towards improving obstetric care by integrating professional clinical pastoral care in hospital settings in Kenya, we carried out a baseline study to explore the birthing physical, psychological and spiritual experiences of mothers of neonates admitted at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of the Riley Mother and Baby Hospital (RMBH) in Eldoret, Kenya. This article presents the results of the study.