ABSTRACT
Background: The aim was to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal mental health screening, illness and related pregnancy complications/outcomes. Methods: A single-centre retrospective cohort study in mothers giving birth before versus during the pandemic. Primary outcomes were the comparative prevalence/incidence of peripartum psychiatric diagnoses. Secondary outcomes were the pandemic's effect on psychiatric screening accuracy, and on other pregnancy outcomes linked to mental health. Results: The pandemic did not significantly increase the crude incidence of diagnosed peripartum anxiety (risk ratio (RR) = 1.39, 95% CI = 0.66-2.95), depression (RR = 1.63, 95% CI = 0.72-3.70) or other pregnancy outcomes. In multivariate models, the pandemic decreased Apgar scores and was involved in interaction effects for postpartum mental illness and birthweight. Psychiatric screening at the booking appointment exhibited lower sensitivity in predicting antenatal mental illness (pre-pandemic = 85.71%, pandemic = 25.00%; p = 0.035). Conclusions: The lowered screening sensitivity likely meant mental illness was poorly anticipated/under-detected during the pandemic, leading to no crude increase in perinatal psychiatric diagnoses.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Patients with a bleeding tendency with normal laboratory tests have been described as having an unclassified bleeding disorder or bleeding disorder of unknown cause (BDUC). There are very little data available on how to manage pregnancy. OBJECTIVES: To study management and outcomes of these patients at four United Kingdom hemophilia comprehensive care centers. METHODS: Retrospective case note review from 2010-2020. RESULTS: Sixty deliveries in 36 patients were recorded. The median International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis bleeding assessment tool score was 9. In 54 cases for which data were available, the odds ratio for post partum hemorrhage (PPH) was 6.3 for no primary hemostatic prophylaxis versus prophylaxis (95% confidence interval 1.2-34.2, p < .05); 7/9 (78%) versus 16/45 (36%) PPH incidence for the groups, respectively. Hemostatic prophylaxis was with tranexamic acid but some patients received desmopressin or platelet infusions. Secondary PPH was seen in 5/60 (8%) of cases. No neonatal bleeding complications or maternal thromboembolic complications were noted. Avoidance of regional anesthesia and fetal delivery precautions were commonly advised, but in the small number of cases in which they occurred no complications were noted. CONCLUSIONS: Despite hemostatic prophylaxis PPH was commonly seen. Further prospective studies of BDUC patients are required to determine optimal management in pregnancy as well as determine the pathophysiological basis of bleeding.
