Social Prescribing During Pregnancy and After Birth in Viet Nam: Where Could Community-Connected Support Add Value, and When Must Clinical Care Lead?
EVIDENCE & EVALUATIONIMPLEMENTATION & PRACTICE
Social Prescribing During Pregnancy and After Birth in Viet Nam: Where Could Community-Connected Support Add Value, and When Must Clinical Care Lead?
Category: Implementation & Practice
Last reviewed: October 2026
A woman returns home after giving birth to her first child. Before leaving the hospital, she receives information about caring for her baby, her own recovery and the follow-up appointments she needs. Her family is excited about the new arrival, and relatives offer advice about feeding, sleeping and everyday care.
Yet she has concerns that are not easily addressed through medical appointments. She spends much of the day at home, misses contact with friends and sometimes feels uncomfortable asking for help. Her husband has returned to work, and although her family is involved, she finds it difficult to explain what kind of support she wants.
Alongside appropriate healthcare, practical assistance, opportunities to reconnect with others or reliable information about local support might make a difference.
Could social prescribing help?
Pregnancy and the months following childbirth can bring significant changes to a woman's daily life, relationships and responsibilities. Some women have supportive families and social networks, while others experience isolation, competing expectations or difficulties obtaining help that reflects their preferences.
Community-connected support may offer additional value during this transition. However, pregnancy and the postnatal period also involve clinical risks for both the woman and her baby. A community activity, peer-support group or navigation service must never become a substitute for appropriate maternity, postnatal or newborn healthcare.
For Viet Nam, the question is not whether social prescribing should become another maternity service. It is where suitable non-clinical support could complement existing healthcare, how women might be connected with trustworthy community resources, and when clinical professionals must remain responsible for assessment and care.
Pregnancy and childbirth affect more than physical health
Pregnancy and childbirth are often discussed in terms of medical care, maternal health outcomes and the well-being of the baby. These are essential concerns, but they do not fully describe the woman's experience.
Pregnancy may influence how a woman works, spends time with friends, participates in ordinary activities and makes decisions about the months ahead. After childbirth, her daily life may change again as she adjusts to recovery, infant care, disrupted sleep and new responsibilities.
The experience is different for every woman. Someone living with extended family may receive substantial practical assistance but have limited opportunities to make decisions about her daily routine. Another woman may have greater independence but few people available when she needs support. Some women feel well supported during pregnancy yet become increasingly isolated after returning home with their newborn.
Community support matters because these experiences are shaped partly by relationships, expectations and the availability of everyday assistance.
The World Health Organization's 2016 recommendations on antenatal care emphasize that a positive pregnancy experience involves more than preventing medical complications. Women's preferences, dignity, well-being and experiences of care are also important.
WHO's 2022 recommendations on maternal and newborn care similarly recognize the importance of respectful care, information, reassurance and support during the postnatal period.
These recommendations provide a foundation for person-centered maternity care. They do not mean that every social concern requires a formal social-prescribing referral.
Some women already have the support they need. Others may benefit from speaking with a healthcare professional, a hospital social worker or a suitable community organization.
The starting point should be the woman's own priorities rather than an assumption that pregnancy or motherhood automatically creates a need for additional services.
What period should community-connected support cover?
An important distinction must be made between routine postnatal healthcare and the longer period during which women may benefit from social support.
WHO's 2022 guideline on maternal and newborn care defines the postnatal period as beginning immediately after birth and extending through the first six weeks, or 42 days.
This is a critical time for maternal recovery, newborn health, identification of complications and continuity of professional care.
However, the social changes associated with childbirth do not necessarily end after six weeks. A woman may continue adjusting to family responsibilities, rebuilding relationships or finding time for her own interests several months later. She may also need additional support when returning to work or when existing family arrangements change.
WHO's 2022 guide on integrating perinatal mental healthcare into maternal and child health services uses a broader period covering pregnancy and the year after birth.
That timeframe serves a different purpose. It should not be interpreted as extending the routine six-week postnatal care period to one year.
For this article, community-connected support is considered during pregnancy, the transition from maternity care to home, the first six weeks after birth and the following months when relevant social needs continue.
This broader perspective does not change the clinical responsibilities associated with antenatal care, postnatal follow-up or newborn healthcare. Clinical care may also remain necessary beyond six weeks whenever the woman's or child's health requires it.
Nor does it mean that every mother requires a year of structured community support. The duration and type of assistance should reflect her individual circumstances and preferences.
Where could community support help during pregnancy?
Antenatal appointments provide opportunities for healthcare professionals to hear about concerns that extend beyond clinical care.
A woman may attend her appointments regularly but explain that she has become increasingly isolated after reducing her usual activities. Another may be uncertain where to find reliable information or opportunities to meet women with similar experiences.
Someone preparing for childbirth may worry about how she will manage everyday responsibilities after returning home, particularly if family members have limited availability.
These concerns do not necessarily require clinical treatment, but they may be important to the woman's well-being and preparation for the months ahead.
A healthcare professional could ask whether she would like information about suitable community support. Depending on what is available locally, this might involve a peer group, a community activity, practical assistance or contact with an appropriately qualified social-work professional.
The support should address something the woman considers useful. Someone who wants to maintain friendships may prefer an ordinary social activity rather than a formal maternity education program. Another woman may be more interested in identifying reliable practical support before delivery.
These needs should not automatically lead to the same referral.
Pregnancy may also be a useful time to explore possible support before the additional demands of caring for a newborn begin. However, community organizers and navigators should not independently determine whether a pregnant woman is medically fit to participate in an activity where individualized clinical advice is required.
If an activity involves physical exertion or other circumstances that raise medical concerns, the relevant maternity healthcare professional should provide appropriate clinical guidance.
Likewise, a community referral should never delay professional assessment when symptoms or pregnancy-related complications require attention.
The potential contribution of social prescribing is to help women prepare for everyday life while maintaining appropriate antenatal care.
The transition from maternity care to home deserves attention
Returning home after childbirth can be an important turning point.
During maternity care, women and newborns have contact with healthcare professionals who can assess clinical concerns, provide information and arrange follow-up. At home, the woman may need to manage her own recovery while responding to her baby's needs and adjusting to changes in daily routines.
Family members may provide substantial assistance, but their support does not always address every concern.
A woman may need help with ordinary household tasks so that she can rest. She may want to speak with other women who have recently given birth or maintain contact with friends. She may also feel uncertain about which advice to follow when relatives offer different opinions.
A suitable community connection could help her find assistance that she wants and can realistically use.
However, discharge planning and clinical follow-up remain the responsibilities of the relevant maternity healthcare professionals and organizations.
WHO's 2022 postnatal care guideline emphasizes continuity between facility-based and community-based healthcare, including appropriate postnatal contacts and arrangements for responding to complications.
Social prescribing should complement these services, not replace them.
A community navigator might help someone identify a trusted peer-support group or practical assistance after returning home. The navigator should not decide whether maternal recovery is progressing normally or whether a newborn is medically well.
This distinction matters because practical and clinical concerns may occur together.
A woman who cannot attend a follow-up appointment may need help arranging assistance at home, but the clinical need for that appointment remains. Similarly, difficulty managing newborn care may reflect limited practical support, a maternal health concern, an infant health problem or a combination of these circumstances.
An appropriate community connection should help the woman maintain access to healthcare rather than become a reason to postpone it.
Women may want support that is not centered on the baby
After childbirth, attention often shifts toward the baby. Conversations with family members and friends may increasingly focus on feeding, sleeping and infant development.
These are important subjects, but they may not reflect everything the woman wants to discuss or do.
Some women enjoy joining groups where mothers share experiences and practical information. Others may prefer individual contact with a trusted community worker, a small informal gathering or an activity unrelated to parenting.
A woman may wish to continue painting, learning a language, meeting friends or participating in cultural activities that mattered to her before pregnancy.
Community-connected support should not assume that all appropriate activities must focus on babies or motherhood. This is particularly important when a woman feels that her personal interests have become less visible since childbirth.
Social prescribing could help her explore suitable opportunities to maintain relationships and pursue interests when she wishes to do so and when participation is appropriate for her circumstances.
Practical support may be equally valuable. For some women, obtaining reliable assistance with everyday responsibilities could create opportunities to rest, attend healthcare appointments or spend time on activities they value.
However, a community organization should not promise services it cannot deliver. Offering informal companionship is different from providing professional childcare, medical supervision or other services that may be subject to specific requirements.
The woman's preferences should guide the choice, and she should remain free to decline an activity or discontinue participation.
Family support is valuable, but the woman's autonomy matters
Family relationships can play an important role during pregnancy and after childbirth in Viet Nam.
Spouses, parents, parents-in-law and other relatives may assist with meals, household responsibilities and infant care. Traditional postpartum practices may also influence how women rest, eat, receive visitors and participate in activities outside the home.
These practices should not be treated as uniformly beneficial or harmful. Their effects depend on the specific circumstances, the woman's preferences and any relevant clinical considerations.
For some women, family involvement provides reassurance and practical assistance. For others, differing expectations may create tension, particularly when advice from relatives conflicts with personal preferences or professional healthcare recommendations.
A woman may appreciate help from her family while also wanting greater privacy or more control over decisions about her daily life.
Care navigation should not assume that family members speak for her.
Where appropriate, the navigator should communicate directly with the woman about what support she wants, whether she wishes relatives to be involved and what information may be shared.
Family members may have valuable knowledge and contribute practical assistance, but a community referral should not be arranged solely according to their preferences.
This principle also applies when a woman declines support. She should not feel pressured to attend a group, receive visitors or participate in a community program because a relative or professional believes it would be good for her.
Respectful support recognizes the value of family relationships while preserving the woman's ability to make decisions about her own participation.
The mother's own health can become less visible after childbirth
As a family adjusts to the arrival of a baby, the child's needs may become the main focus of daily life. The woman's own health can receive less attention as she manages recovery and caregiving responsibilities.
Research from Viet Nam provides an example of this concern.
An ethnographic study by Dang and colleagues, published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth in November 2025, explored the experiences of 20 women who were three to six months postpartum after experiencing gestational diabetes during their most recent pregnancy.
The researchers examined how maternal responsibilities, family expectations and engagement with healthcare influenced the women's understanding of their health and their postpartum self-care practices.
The findings suggested that attention to the baby, limited understanding of longer-term health risks and family expectations could make it difficult for women to prioritize their own health.
None of the women in the study had undergone the recommended postpartum screening for type 2 diabetes, highlighting a significant gap in follow-up within this particular group.
This was a small qualitative study conducted in one rural province and involving women with a specific pregnancy-related condition. Its findings should not be generalized to all mothers in Viet Nam, and it did not evaluate social prescribing.
Nevertheless, the study illustrates how a woman's health needs may become less visible during the transition to motherhood.
Community-connected support could potentially help address practical barriers that interfere with appropriate healthcare follow-up. For example, a woman may need assistance arranging everyday responsibilities so that she can attend a recommended appointment.
However, decisions about screening, assessment or treatment following gestational diabetes remain the responsibility of qualified healthcare professionals.
The potential contribution of community support is to help address practical circumstances that affect continuity of care, not to replace medical follow-up.
When must maternity and newborn healthcare take priority?
The most important boundary is that social prescribing should never be used to manage symptoms or risks requiring professional clinical assessment.
Pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period can involve complications requiring urgent attention.
For the woman, symptoms such as heavy bleeding, seizures, severe headache accompanied by concerning symptoms, chest pain, significant breathing difficulty or other signs of serious illness require prompt medical assessment.
Newborn concerns such as breathing difficulties, poor feeding, abnormal responsiveness, fever or other potentially serious symptoms also require timely professional evaluation.
These examples are not intended as a complete clinical checklist.
A community organizer or navigator should not attempt to determine whether such symptoms are normal or whether medical care can safely be delayed.
When an urgent concern arises, the priority is to facilitate appropriate healthcare contact or emergency assistance according to the circumstances and established procedures.
Other concerns may not be immediate emergencies but still require professional review.
Persistent pain, concerns about wound healing, difficulties with breastfeeding, medication-related questions or uncertainty about maternal recovery and infant health may require assessment or advice from suitably qualified healthcare professionals.
Community peer support may provide reassurance and opportunities to share experiences, but it cannot replace professional maternity, newborn or infant-feeding care where such care is indicated.
Viet Nam's Ministry of Health issued updated National Guidelines on Newborn Care and Treatment Services under Decision No. 2323/QD-BYT on 14 July 2025. This decision replaced the newborn care section of the earlier National Guidelines on Reproductive Health Care Services issued under Decision No. 4128/QD-BYT in 2016.
In 2026, the Ministry of Health issued additional technical guidance, including Decision No. 1269/QD-BYT of 6 May 2026 on newborn care and treatment procedures and Decision No. 1296/QD-BYT of 8 May 2026 on obstetrics and gynecology procedures.
Decision No. 3142/QD-BYT, issued on 8 October 2026, subsequently corrected a specific technical provision of Decision No. 1269/QD-BYT without replacing the remainder of that document.
These documents concern professional healthcare activities, not social-prescribing services.
Their relevance is that community-connected support must operate alongside applicable clinical standards rather than create an alternative system for assessing or managing maternal and newborn health.
Emotional support cannot replace mental healthcare
Pregnancy and the period after childbirth may involve emotional changes, uncertainty and adjustments in personal relationships.
Some women experience stress or feel disconnected from their usual social networks. Practical help and trusted relationships may be valuable in these circumstances.
Others experience mental health conditions requiring professional assessment and treatment.
WHO's 2022 Guide for Integration of Perinatal Mental Health in Maternal and Child Health Services emphasizes the importance of creating respectful environments in which women can discuss difficulties without stigma and receive appropriate professional responses.
Community support may contribute to social connection and everyday emotional well-being. However, a navigator should not diagnose depression, assess the severity of a mental health condition or provide psychological treatment without the required professional competence and authorization.
Persistent or severe psychological distress, concerning changes in behavior, thoughts of self-harm or thoughts of harming the baby require prompt professional assessment. Immediate safety concerns require urgent action.
A supportive peer group should never delay that response.
Peer-support organizers also need to understand their own boundaries. They may provide a welcoming environment and encourage appropriate help-seeking, but should not market ordinary community activities as treatment for postpartum depression or other mental health conditions.
The role of community-connected support is to complement professional services and help women reach them when needed. It should not become an alternative mental health treatment pathway.
Support must reflect the woman's circumstances
Not every pregnancy or childbirth experience follows the expected course.
Some women may have a baby requiring prolonged hospital care. Others may experience pregnancy loss, stillbirth or the death of a newborn.
In these circumstances, a general parenting group or activity centered on celebrating a new baby may be unsuitable or distressing.
The woman should not automatically be offered the same type of support as someone who has returned home with a healthy newborn.
Appropriate healthcare, bereavement care, professional psychological support and relevant specialist services should remain available according to her needs.
If she wishes, a carefully selected community or peer-support opportunity may provide additional connection, but it should never replace specialist assessment or care when required.
The receiving organization should have an appropriate purpose, sufficient competence and a clear understanding of its limitations.
This is a reminder that social prescribing should respond to the woman's actual experience rather than classify her simply according to pregnancy or postpartum status.
What if support is not safe or genuinely voluntary?
A woman may have practical support available but limited control over how that support is provided.
Some women experience pressure from relatives or controlling relationships. Others may feel uncomfortable discussing personal concerns in front of family members.
Pregnancy and the months after childbirth may be particularly sensitive when a woman depends on others for everyday assistance.
Navigators should not assume that family involvement is always welcome or safe.
Where appropriate, a woman should have an opportunity to discuss personal concerns privately.
However, a community navigator should not independently investigate suspected abuse, attempt to mediate a potentially dangerous relationship or promise confidentiality beyond what can legally and operationally be maintained.
Concerns involving domestic violence, coercion, exploitation or immediate safety risks require appropriate professional and safeguarding responses.
Viet Nam's Law on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control No. 13/2022/QH15, effective from 1 July 2023, provides a relevant legal framework when domestic violence concerns arise.
A community service should not contact a spouse or relative about the woman's concerns without considering her wishes, safety and the applicable legal requirements.
This is particularly important where disclosure could expose her to additional harm.
Community support may help a woman reach an appropriate service, but serious safety concerns should not be managed as ordinary social-prescribing referrals.
What would an appropriate community connection involve?
A suitable connection begins with understanding what the woman wants.
A healthcare professional or appropriately prepared navigator might ask whether she is interested in additional support and what kind of assistance would be useful.
Some women may want opportunities for social contact. Others may prefer practical help or information about a specific service.
The next question is whether a suitable provider actually exists.
A community organization should not be recommended simply because it appears in a directory or describes itself as supporting mothers.
The referring professional or navigator should understand what the service provides, who it is intended for, whether there are costs and what level of support the organization can reasonably offer.
The activity should also be appropriate to the woman's circumstances.
For example, a group that requires attendance at fixed times may not be convenient for someone adjusting to infant care. Another group may welcome babies, while a woman may prefer an opportunity to participate independently.
These preferences should be considered before a referral is arranged.
Where an activity involves physical exertion or circumstances requiring individualized clinical advice, the relevant healthcare professional should remain responsible for that assessment.
Peer-support organizations should also understand how to respond when a participant raises a clinical or safeguarding concern.
The woman should be free to contact the service herself or request assistance with an introduction.
Where information is shared directly between organizations, the necessary legal basis, permissions and safeguards must be established.
Responsibility for the community activity remains with the receiving organization, while clinical care remains with the appropriate healthcare professionals.
A navigator may help maintain communication where this forms part of an agreed role, but should not be expected to manage maternity care or supervise every aspect of participation.
How could collaboration work within Viet Nam's healthcare system?
A realistic model would build on existing maternal and child healthcare services rather than establish a separate maternity pathway.
Hospitals and other appropriately licensed healthcare providers could identify circumstances in which women might benefit from additional non-clinical support.
Where a hospital has an established social-work function, this may provide a suitable point for coordination.
Circular No. 51/2024/TT-BYT, effective from 1 March 2025, regulates social-work activities in medical examination and treatment establishments licensed to operate as hospitals.
It provides a relevant institutional basis for social-work collaboration in such settings, but it should not be interpreted as establishing a nationwide maternity social-prescribing program or automatically extending hospital social-work responsibilities to all community organizations.
Decree No. 110/2024/ND-CP provides the broader legal framework concerning social work in Viet Nam. Circular No. 29/2026/TT-BYT, effective from 25 August 2026, also addresses social-work practice and continuing professional knowledge.
These instruments are relevant where a proposed service involves regulated professional social-work activities. They should not be interpreted as creating a separate social-prescribing qualification or automatically authorizing community navigators to provide professional social-work interventions.
The Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 15/2023/QH15, effective from 1 January 2024, remains relevant whenever proposed activities fall within regulated clinical practice.
A local collaboration could involve a maternity hospital, an appropriate social-work partner and a small number of verified community organizations.
The maternity service would remain responsible for clinical assessment, treatment and follow-up. The community organization would provide non-clinical activities or support within its competence and lawful operating scope.
A navigator, where available and appropriately prepared, could help women understand available options and make suitable connections.
The partners would need clear arrangements concerning referral responsibilities, information sharing and the response to medical or safeguarding concerns.
A community connection should never create uncertainty about who remains responsible for the woman's clinical care or the baby's health.
Privacy and consent require particular care
Community-connected support during pregnancy and after childbirth may involve highly personal information.
A woman may disclose concerns about her health, family relationships, emotional well-being or everyday circumstances.
Receiving maternity care does not mean that these details can automatically be shared with a community organization.
Viet Nam's Law on Personal Data Protection No. 91/2025/QH15 and Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP both took effect on 1 January 2026.
They establish requirements concerning personal-data processing, including protections relevant to sensitive health information.
A referral pathway must identify an appropriate lawful basis, comply with applicable consent and notification requirements, and define what information may be shared for a specific purpose.
A woman should understand whether accepting a community referral involves the transfer of personal information and which organization may receive it.
An ordinary community group does not automatically need access to maternity records, diagnoses or information about the baby's health.
For example, a peer group may need to know that a woman would like to attend with her infant. It would not normally require her complete medical history.
Where clinical information is genuinely necessary, the applicable data-protection and professional confidentiality requirements must be assessed.
Family members should not automatically receive information about a woman's participation or personal concerns simply because they are involved in supporting her.
The same caution applies to photographs, participant stories and information used in publicity.
Agreeing to participate in a support activity should not be treated as agreement to have personal experiences used for marketing or fundraising.
This is especially relevant when community activities receive sponsorship from commercial organizations offering maternity or baby-related products.
Any commercial relationships should be transparent, comply with applicable advertising and product-promotion requirements, and avoid making participation conditional on purchasing products or agreeing to unrelated marketing.
A trustworthy pathway should make it possible for women to receive useful support without unnecessary disclosure or commercial pressure.
What does the evidence support?
International evidence recognizes the importance of social support during pregnancy and early parenthood. However, evidence about social support in general should not be confused with evidence about the effectiveness of a specific social-prescribing service.
A systematic review and meta-analysis by Biden and colleagues, published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing in July 2026, examined life-course factors associated with social support during the perinatal period.
The review included 143 studies and identified several factors associated with lower levels of support, including previous adverse childhood experiences, mental health difficulties, migration, unplanned pregnancy and having another child.
The researchers used a broader perinatal period extending from pregnancy to 18 months after birth. This research definition should not be confused with WHO's six-week period for routine postnatal care.
The review emphasized the importance of considering parents' broader experiences when assessing support needs.
However, it examined associations and factors preceding perinatal social support. It did not establish that social-prescribing referrals improve maternal or infant outcomes.
Earlier research on community-based and health-system interventions also provides relevant but distinct evidence.
A 2015 Cochrane review by Mbuagbaw and colleagues examined interventions intended to improve antenatal care coverage and related outcomes. It included 34 trials involving approximately 400,000 women.
The review suggested that some community and health-system interventions could improve aspects of antenatal service use, although results varied according to the intervention and outcome.
These programs were not equivalent to the broader social-prescribing model discussed in this article.
Likewise, WHO recommendations concerning maternity care, mental health and community support provide important professional guidance but do not prove that a general community referral will prevent postpartum depression, reduce maternity complications or generate healthcare savings.
In Viet Nam, published evidence directly evaluating structured social-prescribing pathways during pregnancy and the transition after childbirth remains limited.
The appropriate response is therefore to develop and evaluate carefully defined local models rather than assume that international findings will apply automatically.
What might a realistic pilot look like?
A small pilot could focus on a clearly defined maternity-to-home transition involving selected healthcare providers and a limited number of community partners.
Its purpose would be to examine whether women who express a need for social or practical support can be connected with suitable services without disrupting clinical care.
For example, a maternity hospital might work with an appropriate social-work team and an established community organization offering voluntary peer or practical support.
Women who express an interest could receive information about the available service and decide whether they want an introduction.
The referral should not be presented as a requirement for all pregnant or postpartum women.
Before implementation, participating organizations would need to confirm their legal status, service capacity, staff competence and the boundaries of their responsibilities.
The referral process should explain when a community connection is suitable and when maternity, newborn, mental health or safeguarding services must take priority.
Community organizers should know how to respond when a participant raises concerns outside their competence.
Women should also have opportunities to shape the proposed service. Their feedback could help determine whether an activity is genuinely useful, whether its format is acceptable and whether participation respects their preferences.
Some may want peer contact, while others may prefer practical assistance or an activity unrelated to motherhood. Others may not wish to participate in any organized program.
All these choices should be respected.
The initial purpose of a pilot would be to assess whether the approach is feasible, acceptable and safe.
It would be premature to claim that the model reduces maternal complications, prevents mental health conditions or saves healthcare costs without appropriately designed research.
How should meaningful results be assessed?
The number of referrals alone would not demonstrate the value of community-connected support.
A woman may accept information about a group but decide not to attend. Another may participate once and find that the activity does not meet her needs. Someone else may receive practical assistance and report that it helped her manage an important everyday responsibility.
These experiences should not be treated as equivalent.
An appropriate evaluation should consider whether women were offered genuine choices, whether they reached suitable services and whether the support addressed concerns they considered important.
Their experiences of dignity, autonomy and respect should also matter.
For some women, a valuable outcome may be maintaining relationships during a difficult transition. For others, it may involve receiving practical help that allows them to attend healthcare appointments or regain time for personal interests.
The evaluation should also examine whether the boundaries of clinical responsibility remained clear.
Were medical concerns directed to appropriate healthcare professionals? Did community organizers understand when specialist assistance was required? Were there any problems involving privacy, unwanted referrals or inappropriate sharing of information?
The capacity of receiving organizations should also be considered.
A referral pathway is unlikely to remain sustainable if it depends on community groups accepting responsibilities beyond their resources or competence.
Reported improvements in well-being may be encouraging, but they should be interpreted according to the evaluation design and should not be presented as proof of clinical effectiveness without suitable evidence.
The central question is whether community-connected support provides meaningful additional value while preserving safe maternity and newborn care.
Community support can add value, but clinical care must remain central
Pregnancy and the months following childbirth can bring changes that extend beyond medical appointments.
Women may experience shifts in relationships, responsibilities, social connections and everyday routines. Some have supportive networks that meet their needs, while others may benefit from additional practical or community-based assistance.
Social prescribing could provide one way to recognize these concerns and help women find appropriate non-clinical support.
Its contribution, however, depends on keeping professional responsibilities clear.
Maternity and newborn healthcare professionals remain responsible for clinical assessment, treatment and follow-up within their scope. Community organizations provide activities and support they are competent and legally permitted to deliver.
Navigators may help women understand available options, communicate preferences and make appropriate connections, but they should not become substitute maternity professionals, mental health providers or safeguarding specialists.
For Social Prescribing Vietnam, this topic offers an opportunity to explore how maternity healthcare and community services might work together without creating unnecessary additional clinical responsibilities.
The woman's own experience should remain central. She should be able to receive appropriate healthcare, express what support she wants and make informed choices about community participation.
Relevant social support need not end after the first six weeks following birth, although continued community involvement should never be confused with the clinical postnatal care or follow-up required for the woman or baby.
The purpose is not to turn pregnancy and motherhood into a series of social prescriptions.
It is to recognize that women may need different forms of assistance during an important life transition and to make suitable support easier to find, while ensuring that professional healthcare remains responsible whenever clinical needs arise.
References
World Health Organization. WHO Recommendations on Antenatal Care for a Positive Pregnancy Experience. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2016.
World Health Organization. WHO Recommendations on Maternal and Newborn Care for a Positive Postnatal Experience. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022.
World Health Organization. Guide for Integration of Perinatal Mental Health in Maternal and Child Health Services. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022.
World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific. A Toolkit on How to Implement Social Prescribing. Manila: World Health Organization; 2022.
Dang NAT, Nguyen A, Vu TKD, et al. "To be honest, no one cares": an ethnographic study of postpartum perceptions and practices after gestational diabetes in Vietnam. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth. 2025;25:1263. doi:10.1186/s12884-025-08399-x.
Biden EJ, Spry EA, Greenwood CJ, et al. Social support in the perinatal period: A systematic review and meta-analysis of life course antecedents. Journal of Advanced Nursing. Published online 28 July 2026. doi:10.1111/jan.70677.
Mbuagbaw L, Medley N, Darzi AJ, Richardson M, Habiba Garga K, Ongolo-Zogo P. Health system and community level interventions for improving antenatal care coverage and health outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2015;(12). doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010994.pub2.
National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law No. 15/2023/QH15 on Medical Examination and Treatment. Effective 1 January 2024.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Decision No. 4128/QD-BYT approving the National Guidelines on Reproductive Health Care Services. 29 July 2016, as subsequently amended or partially superseded.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Decision No. 2323/QD-BYT promulgating the National Guidelines on Newborn Care and Treatment Services. 14 July 2025. Superseded the newborn care section of Decision No. 4128/QD-BYT.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Decision No. 1269/QD-BYT promulgating the Technical Procedures for Newborn Care and Treatment, Volume 1. 6 May 2026.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Decision No. 1296/QD-BYT promulgating the Technical Procedures for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volume 1. 8 May 2026.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Decision No. 3142/QD-BYT correcting a specific technical provision of Decision No. 1269/QD-BYT. 8 October 2026.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Circular No. 51/2024/TT-BYT regulating social-work activities in medical examination and treatment establishments licensed to operate as hospitals. Effective 1 March 2025.
Government of Viet Nam. Decree No. 110/2024/ND-CP on Social Work. Effective 15 October 2024.
Ministry of Health of Viet Nam. Circular No. 29/2026/TT-BYT on Social Work Practice and Continuing Professional Knowledge. Effective 25 August 2026.
National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law No. 13/2022/QH15 on Domestic Violence Prevention and Control. Effective 1 July 2023.
National Assembly of Viet Nam. Law No. 91/2025/QH15 on Personal Data Protection. Effective 1 January 2026.
Government of Viet Nam. Decree No. 356/2025/ND-CP detailing provisions and implementation measures under the Law on Personal Data Protection. Effective 1 January 2026.
Editorial and legal note: This article provides an educational and implementation-focused discussion of community-connected support during pregnancy and after childbirth in Viet Nam, based on international recommendations, available research and relevant legal frameworks reviewed through October 2026.
It does not establish that social prescribing is a nationally standardized, specifically authorized or clinically validated maternity or postnatal service in Viet Nam.
Community support should not replace antenatal care, professional postnatal follow-up, newborn healthcare, mental health assessment or other services requiring qualified healthcare professionals. Any proposed program should assess its specific activities, applicable legal requirements, referral responsibilities, privacy and consent arrangements, safeguarding procedures and the competence and capacity of participating healthcare and community organizations.