New mothers lack adequate post-natal care

London: New mothers are being left unprepared and unsupported by the NHS according to a survey that "paints a shocking picture" of post-natal care, the United Kingdom's largest parenting charity said on Sunday.

A survey of 1,260 first-time mothers found that 57 per cent of women did not get the emotional support they needed in the first 24 hours after a hospital birth, and only 45 per cent received a satisfactory level of information and advice.

The charity found that women who had experienced operative births had the greatest gaps in care.