Parent's experiences of the impact of ethnicity and skin pigmentation on perinatal care.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the perceived impact of ethnicity and race on perinatal care among parents from diverse ethnic minority backgrounds or who had a Black, Asian, or ethnic minority child born in the UK within the last five years to better understand areas of ethnic inequality within perinatal care.

Design: This study employed a focused ethnography, recruiting a purposive sample through posters, professional organisations, and social media platforms. Efforts to ensure maximum phenomenon variation included diverse ethnic and geographical representation. Semi-structured interviews using the digital platform, Zoom, explored experiences of accessing and receiving care, with a focus on challenges and perceptions related to ethnicity, race or skin pigmentation. Interview schedules underwent stakeholder validation and pilot testing. NVivo software facilitated qualitative analysis, employing an inductive approach with rigorous coding and thematic analysis.

Results: Ethnic minority parental experiences (n = 24) revealed significant systemic challenges within the healthcare system. Three major themes were observed: Parent's voices not being heard, Systemic factors and Discrimination. Participants expressed feelings of marginalisation and inadequate communication with healthcare providers. Instances where concerns were dismissed or belittled, coupled with issues related to consent, highlighted pervasive systemic shortcomings. Structural barriers such as difficulties in scheduling appointments and perceived organisational neglect further compounded these challenges. Discriminatory attitudes and racial stereotypes also influenced the quality of care received, contributing to disparities in health outcomes and maternal wellbeing. Participants noted feelings of social isolation, exacerbated by pandemic-related restrictions and a lack of tailored support networks.

Conclusion: These findings underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms aimed at ensuring culturally safe and anti-racist practice, addressing communication barriers, and reducing discriminatory practices to enhance healthcare experiences and outcomes for ethnic minority parents. This includes training all healthcare staff around cultural safety.