Perinatal depression before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City.

BACKGROUND: Quarantining and isolation during previous pandemics have been associated with higher levels of depression symptomatology. Studies in other countries found elevated rates of anxiety and/or depression among pregnant people during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with prepandemic rates. New York City was the initial epicenter of the pandemic in the United States, and the effects of the pandemic on perinatal depression in this population are not well known. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the rates of perinatal depression before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients screened for perinatal depression with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at 2 private academic practices in New York City. This screen is done in these practices at the time of the glucose challenge test and at the postpartum visit. Patients aged ≥18 years who completed a screen at a postpartum visit and/or glucose challenge test from February 1, 2019 to July 31, 2019 and from February 1, 2020 to July 31, 2020 were identified, and the 2019 and 2020 groups were compared. The primary outcome was a positive screen, defined as ≥13 and ≥15 for postnatal and prenatal screens, respectively. Secondary outcomes included monthly changes in rates of positive screens and factors associated with perinatal depression. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square, or Fisher exact test, and univariate and multivariate analyses with P<.05 defined as significant. RESULTS: A total of 1366 records met the inclusion criteria; 75% of the prepandemic (2019) records were included, as opposed to 65% of pandemic (2020) records due to a lower screen completion rate in the pandemic cohort. The 2020 cohort had a higher proportion of Hispanic patients (P=.003) and higher rates of diabetes mellitus (P=.007), preterm labor (P=.03), and current or former drug use (P<.001). The 2019 cohort had higher rates of hypertension (P=.002) and breastfeeding (P=.03); 4.6% of the 2020 cohort had a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. There was no difference in perinatal depression between the 2019 and 2020 cohorts (2.8% vs 2.6%; P>.99). This finding persisted after adjusting for baseline differences (adjusted odds ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-1.86; P=.76). There were no differences in rates of positive Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale by month. Several risk factors were associated with a positive screen, including being unmarried (P<.001), pulmonary disease (P=.02), depression (P<.001), anxiety (P=.01), bipolar disorder (P=.009), and use of anxiolytics (P=.04). CONCLUSION: There were no differences in the rates of perinatal depression between the periods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate of perinatal depression in this cohort was below the reported averages in the literature. Fewer women were screened for perinatal depression in 2020, which likely underestimated the prevalence of depression in our cohort. These findings highlight potential gaps in care in a pandemic setting.

Planned Oocyte Cryopreservation and the Black Obstetrician Gynecologist: Utilization and Perspectives.

The objective of this study was to describe the opinions and attitudes toward planned oocyte cryopreservation (POC) among Black Obstetrician Gynecologists (BOG) and their experiences in counseling patients of color. A web-based, cross-sectional survey was distributed to BOGs. The survey consisted of questions pertaining to personal family building goals, fertility preservation, education and patient counseling experiences regarding POC. Of the 136 potential participants, the response rate was 50% (n = 68). Sixty-six percent of respondents felt the need to postpone childbearing due to medical training and 19% had already undergone POC or planned to in the future. A majority (70%) felt that all women planning to undergo medical training should consider POC, and a subgroup analysis showed this was more likely to be reported within BOG trainees (p < 0.01). Fifty-seven percent received education on POC and 25% felt "very comfortable" counseling patients on POC. Those age < 35 years were more likely to feel the need to postpone family building due to their medical training (p < 0.01). Generalist attendings who had not undergone POC were significantly more likely to report regret, compared to subspecialists (p < 0.03). Medical careers may have an unfavorable impact on family building, and our results highlight this effect in Black women. A better understanding of the mitigating factors is needed to develop culturally appropriate counseling and educational interventions for Black women and other women of color.

Postpartum depression, mode of delivery, and indication for unscheduled cesarean delivery: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD), mode of delivery (MOD), and indication for unscheduled cesarean delivery (uCD). METHODS: Patients with antenatal and postpartum Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) scores were compared by MOD and indication for uCD if applicable. Patients with an antenatal EPDS>12 were excluded to ascertain the incidence of new depression. The primary outcome was EPDS≥13 by MOD. The secondary outcome was EPDS≥13 by indication for uCD. RESULTS: Seven hundred and thirty eight patients met inclusion criteria. There were statistically significant differences in MOD by age, race, BMI, and multi-gestation pregnancy. Patients delivered via uCD had a higher rate of peripartum complications and NICU admission. There were no differences in medical comorbidities or use of psychiatric medications by MOD. There was no difference in EPDS by MOD. The rate of PPD was higher in patients with uCD for non-reassuring fetal heart tones (NRFHT) compared to other indications for uCD (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: While there was no difference in the incidence of PPD by MOD, the incidence of PPD was higher among patients delivered via uCD for NRFHT. These findings may have implications for patient counseling, post-operative mental health surveillance, and support of postpartum patients.

Predictors of severe and critical disease in pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: SARS-CoV-2 continues to spread widely in the US and worldwide. Pregnant women are more likely to develop severe or critical illness than their non-pregnant counterparts. Known risk factors for severe and critical disease outside of pregnancy, such as asthma, diabetes, and obesity have not been well-studied in pregnancy. We aimed to determine which clinical and pregnancy-related factors were associated with severe and critical COVID illness in pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of women with confirmed intrauterine pregnancy and positive nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 who presented to an academic medical center in New York City from 1 March 2020 to 1 July 2020. Severe and critical COVID-19 disease was defined by World Health Organization criteria. Women with severe/critical disease were compared to women with asymptomatic/mild disease. Continuous variables were compared with Mann-Whitney or t-test and categorical variables were compared using chi-square and Fisher's exact. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Multivariable logistic regression was performed including variables that were significantly different between groups. RESULTS: Two hundred and thirty-three patients were included, 186 (79.8%) with asymptomatic/mild disease and 47 (20.2%) with severe/critical disease. Women with asymptomatic/mild disease were compared to those with severe/critical disease. Women with severe/critical disease were more likely to have a history of current or former smoking (19.6 vs. 5.4%, p = .004), COVID-19 diagnosis in the 2nd trimester (42.6 vs. 11.8%, p = .001), and asthma or other respiratory condition (21.3 vs. 7.0%, p = .01). Women with severe/critical disease were more likely to have cesarean delivery (35.5 vs. 15.6%, p < .01) and preterm delivery <37 weeks (25.8 vs. 3.8%, p < .01). After adjustment, history of smoking remained significantly predictive of severe/critical disease [aOR 3.84 (95% CI, 1.25-11.82)]. CONCLUSION: Pregnant women with a history of smoking, asthma, or other respiratory condition, and COVID-19 diagnosis in the second trimester of pregnancy were more likely to develop severe/critical disease. These findings may be useful in counseling women on their individual risk of developing the severe or critical disease in pregnancy and may help determine which women are good candidates for vaccination during pregnancy.

Differential Uptake of Telehealth for Prenatal Care in a Large New York City Academic Obstetrical Practice during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in New York City, telehealth was rapidly implemented for obstetric patients. Though telehealth for prenatal care is safe and effective, significant concerns exist regarding equity in access among low-income populations. We performed a retrospective cohort study evaluating utilization of telehealth for prenatal care in a large academic practice in New York City, comparing women with public and private insurance. We found that patients with public insurance were less likely to have at least one telehealth visit than women with private insurance (60.9 vs. 87.3%, p < 0.001). After stratifying by borough, this difference remained significant in Brooklyn, one of the boroughs hardest hit by the pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to spread around the country, obstetric providers must work to ensure that all patients, particularly those with public insurance, have equal access to telehealth. KEY POINTS: · Telehealth for prenatal care is frequently utilized during the COVID-19 pandemic.. · Significant concerns exist regarding equity in access among lower-income populations.. · Women with public insurance in New York City were less likely to access telehealth for prenatal care..