Who's Haywood? Path to Leadership: I Am NO Jackie Robinson.

Having been afforded many opportunities throughout my academic career, I took on the challenges that chronicled my path to leadership. In many instances, I was the first person of color to enter that educational and leadership environment. I am grateful to many mentors who have guided and supported me over the 4 decades since the time of my residency through fellowships and the various institutions to which I have been affiliated. It continues to be a great journey, making a contribution to the Ob Gyn academic community and advocating for quality and equitable women's health care.

Opportunities in the Postpartum Period to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease Risk After Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes are common among pregnant individuals and are associated with long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. Individuals with adverse pregnancy outcomes also have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease risk factors after delivery. Despite this, evidence-based approaches to managing these patients after pregnancy to reduce cardiovascular disease risk are lacking. In this scientific statement, we review the current evidence on interpregnancy and postpartum preventive strategies, blood pressure management, and lifestyle interventions for optimizing cardiovascular disease using the American Heart Association Life's Essential 8 framework. Clinical, health system, and community-level interventions can be used to engage postpartum individuals and to reach populations who experience the highest burden of adverse pregnancy outcomes and cardiovascular disease. Future trials are needed to improve screening of subclinical cardiovascular disease in individuals with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes, before the onset of symptomatic disease. Interventions in the fourth trimester, defined as the 12 weeks after delivery, have great potential to improve cardiovascular health across the life course.

Fathers' Perspectives on Fatherhood and Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy and Childbirth.

There is limited research that specifically explores paternal involvement during pregnancy and childbirth. To address this gap, we completed a series of focus groups with fathers to examine social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence behaviors among new fathers while also providing community perspectives on men's experiences seeking care pre- and postdelivery. We used a phenomenological thematic approach to analyze data from 10 focus groups from five of the six Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health-Community Care Initiative pilot sites collected between November 2021 and April 2022. The average age of fathers was 33.9 years (range = 24-61 years). The majority (86.25%) of men were African American, and approximately one sixth of focus group participants (16.25%) were Hispanic or Latino. Four key themes emerged: the importance and meaning of fatherhood, accessibility during pregnancy and childbirth, engagement during pregnancy and childbirth, and responsibility of fathers during pregnancy and childbirth. These fathers not only understood and embraced the awesome responsibility they had for their unborn child, but they also recognized and were invested in being present, accessible, engaged, and responsible to the pregnant woman during the pregnancy. Practitioners and policy makers should work to engage fathers as early in the pregnancy as possible; monitor father's mental health and financial stress; provide resources to educate fathers on maternal health, pregnancy, and childbirth; and emphasize fathers' rights, roles, and responsibilities.

The impact of excessive gestational weight gain timing on neonatal outcomes in women with class III obesity.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the influence of early gestational weight gain (GWG) on neonatal outcomes among women with class III obesity. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort of women with class III obesity who gained more than the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines (>20lbs). Women gaining ≥75% of total gestational weight prior to 28 weeks (EWG) were compared to women gaining <75% of their total weight prior to 28 weeks (SWG). The primary outcome was a neonatal composite morbidity and mortality. Secondary outcomes included individual components of composite and LGA. RESULTS: Of 144 women identified, 42 (29.2%) had EWG and 102 (70.8%) had SWG. Though 11% of the total population had composite neonatal morbidity, this did not differ between groups (p = .4). LGA was nearly twice as common in the SWG group (41% vs 26%, p = .13). EWG was associated with decreased risk of LGA (AOR 0.25 95% CI 0.08, 0.78) and lower median birth weight (AOR -312 g 95% CI -534.7, -90.2). CONCLUSION: Though adverse neonatal outcomes were common in this population, timing of gestational weight gain was not correlated. Increased rates of LGA and higher median birth weight in the SWG group suggests excessive GWG continuing in the third trimester of pregnancy may be of import for neonatal size.

Maternal weight gain and neonatal outcomes in women with class III obesity.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity in the USA continues to be a prominent medical and public health concern. Due to increasing rates of maternal obesity, the current Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines recommend 11-20 pounds of total weight gain during pregnancy in women with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2. The impact of maternal obesity on adverse perinatal outcomes has been well documented however, there is minimal data on the effect of gestational weight gain on neonatal outcomes. In this study, we assessed the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and neonatal outcomes at term in women with class III obesity. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective cohort of women delivering at a tertiary care institution between July 2013 and December 2017 with a first-trimester baseline BMI ≥40 kg/m2 was studied. Pregnancies complicated by multiple gestations, preterm delivery, fetal anomalies, intrauterine fetal demise or with missing data were excluded. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse neonatal outcomes including 5 min Apgar <7, neonatal intubation, grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), confirmed neonatal sepsis or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission. Secondary outcomes included individual components of composite and NICU admission for >7 days. Demographic, pregnancy complications & delivery characteristics of women who gained more than IOM guidelines (>20 lbs.) were compared to women who gained at or less than IOM guidelines (≤20 lbs.) using bivariate statistics. Stepwise backward regression was used to estimate the odds of outcomes as appropriate. RESULTS: Of 374 women included, 144 (39.5%) gained more than guidelines. Women who gained above IOM recommendations were less likely to be multiparous and use tobacco. Additional demographic, obstetric and delivery characteristics, including BMI at the entry to care, did not differ. The neonatal composite occurred in 30 (8.0%) of all neonates; corresponding to 11.1% of women who gained more than IOM recommendations and 6.1% of those who gained at or below recommendations (p = .12, OR = 1.71, 95%CI 0.74-3.96). Additionally, neonates born to women gaining more than IOM recommendations were more likely to be admitted to the NICU (10.4 vs. 4.3%, p = .03) and have a NICU length of stay >7 days (6.9 vs. 2.2%, p = .03). When adjusted for mode of delivery, delivery BMI, tobacco use, and chorioamnionitis, women who gained more were not more likely to have an adverse neonatal outcome (1.54, 95%CI 0.62-3.80), they were 3.6 times more likely to have a neonate admitted to the NICU for more than 7 days (95%CI 1.00-13.42). CONCLUSIONS: In women with class III obesity, excess gestational weight gain was associated with increased odds of NICU stay >7 days, with trends toward increased NICU admission risk, further emphasizing the importance of appropriate weight gain counseling in this population at risk.

Black Lives and the Police.

INTRODUCTION: Protests and the call to action in the aftermath of the deaths of Black citizens at the hands of police officers have reawakened the consciousness of American society on policing and the need for reforms. Racism in policing has a long history dating back to slave patrols following the Civil War. Criminal anti Black police behavior violates the police oath to "protect and defend" all individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This forum was convened to gain a better appreciation for the challenges of community policing and patterns of violence against Black citizens. Members of the forum including police leaders and legal authorities were presented with a series of questions related to various aspects of policing including training of police officers, how their units would have responded to the recent episodes of police violence against Black people, and what are the legal arguments for victims and police officers accused of excessive use of force? The panel deliberated and discussed remedies for reimagining and reforming policing to prevent excessive use of force that leads to repetitive patterns of loss of life in communities of color. CONCLUSION: The forum panel concluded that reimagining policing especially at the community level will require multiple strategies that must include recruitment of a diverse group of police officers who can better represent their communities and society. As important, is better screening, testing and vetting of applicants to the police academy to route out those individuals who may demonstrate the potential for adverse behaviors antithetical to the police oath to protect and defend all people regardless of race and/or ethnicity.

Black women health inequity: The origin of perinatal health disparity.

Black enslaved women endured sexual exploitation and reproductive manipulation to produce a labor workforce on the southern plantations during the Antebellum Period. Health care inequity has continued from slavery and into the 21th century primarily due of racial segregation, poverty, access, poor quality of care, eugenics and the assault of forced sterilizations. Racial disparity in maternal and infant mortality is an outcome rooted in racial injustice, social and economic determinants as well as the stresses during pregnancy throughout the generations of Black births. Affordable, available, quality and equitable care and narrowing the economic gap for Black women and families is the most significant barrier in combating racial disparity in perinatal health outcomes and health inequity.

Maternal Weight Gain and Infant Birth Weight in Women with Class III Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the impact of maternal weight gain on infant birth weight among women with Class III obesity. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort of women with body mass index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m2 at initial prenatal visit, delivered from July 2013 to December 2017. Women presenting 14/0 weeks of gestational age (GA), delivering preterm, or had multiples or major fetal anomalies excluded. Maternal demographics and complications, intrapartum events, and neonatal outcomes abstracted. Primary outcomes were delivery of large for gestational age or small for gestational age (SGA) infant. Bivariate statistics used to compare women gaining less than Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations (LTR) and women gaining within recommendations (11-20 pounds/5-9.1 kg) (at recommended [AR]). Regression models used to estimate odds of primary outcomes. RESULTS: Of included women (n = 230), 129 (56%) gained LTR and 101 (44%) gained AR. In sum, 71 (31%) infants were LGA and 2 (0.8%) were SGA. Women gaining LTR had higher median entry BMI (46 vs. 43, p < 0.01); other demographics did not differ. LTR women were equally likely to deliver an LGA infant (29 vs. 34%, p = 0.5) but not more likely to deliver an SGA infant (0.8 vs. 1%, p > 0.99). After controlling for confounders, the AOR of an LGA baby for LTR women was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.4-1.4). CONCLUSION: In this cohort of morbidly obese women, gaining less than IOM recommendations did not impact risk of having an LGA infant, without increasing risk of an SGA infant.

Opioid Management in Pregnancy and Postpartum.

Pregnant and postpartum women with opiate use disorder present a challenge in perinatal care. It is important for health care teams to provide sensitive and compassionate evidence-based care for these women, who often are stigmatized during the prenatal, delivery, and postpartum periods. Women with opiate use disorder are at risk for inadequate prenatal and postpartum care and for complications. Infants are at risk for neonatal abstinence syndrome and are expected to require neonatal intensive care. Pain management during labor and for cesarean delivery requires consultation and collaboration with providers who have expertise in management of addiction. Postpartum follow-up is essential.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Severe Maternal Morbidity.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) accompanies miscarriage, intrauterine fetal demise, and preterm birth. Levels of PTSD may be higher for women who experience acute, life-threatening events during labor and delivery. Severe maternal morbidities or near misses for maternal death disproportionately impact African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and women in rural communities. Expanding research demonstrates association between severe maternal morbidity or near-miss events and PTSD. Multiple preceding conditions and intrapartum and postpartum events place women at higher risk for PTSD. Postpartum evaluation provides an opportunity for PTSD screening. Untreated perinatal PTSD impacts long-term maternal and child health and contributes to health disparities.

Telehealth in Maternity Care.

The use of telehealth is gaining momentum in providing obstetric care. Telehealth through various platforms provides obstetricians and gynecologists and other providers of obstetric and postpartum care with the tools to better facilitate prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum encounters. Telehealth helps facilitate consultation with specialists and subspecialists in maternal-fetal medicine in a team-based fashion to improve quality and safe obstetric practices in a fragmented obstetric care delivery system, especially in rural access communities. Telehealth can be beneficial especially in the postpartum period for breastfeeding and lactation assistance and for postpartum depression follow-up.

Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Future Heart Disease.

Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in adult women. Beyond the traditional risk factors of obesity, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, women with the pregnancy complications of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, prematurity, and low birth weight for gestational age (fetal growth restriction) are at higher risk for later development of cardiovascular disease. Education of women and providers about the association of pregnancy complications and cardiovascular disease should begin in the postpartum period. Postpartum cardiovascular risk screening and lifestyle modifications should be considered standard of care and are essential to improving cardiac health as a preventive strategy.

OB/GYN Providers' Knowledge of Racial and Ethnic Reproductive Health Disparities.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores OB/GYN providers' knowledge about published health and healthcare disparities in women's reproductive health. METHOD: We collected demographic and health disparities knowledge information from OB/GYN providers who were members of ACOG District IV using an online survey (n = 483). We examined differences across groups using statistical tests and regression analyses in a structural equation modeling approach. RESULTS: Receiving disparities education was positively associated with higher self-reported disparities knowledge and disparities quiz performance (p < 0.05). African American/Black providers had higher quiz scores than their white counterparts, and providers varied in their levels of disparities knowledge across practice settings (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Differences in levels of knowledge of racial/ethnic disparities in health and healthcare outcomes among OB/GYN providers varied across race/ethnicity, practice context, and whether providers had received formal disparities education. Future research should explore these differences at a population level and develop interventions to improve health disparities education among OB/GYN providers.

Gestational Weight Gain and Postpartum Depression in Women with Class III Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and postpartum depression (PPD) in women with class III obesity. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort of women with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2 at entry to care, first prenatal visit ≤14 weeks gestation, with singleton, nonanomalous pregnancies who delivered at term from July 2013 to December 2017. Women missing data regarding PPD were excluded. Primary outcome was PPD; classified as Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score >13/30 or provider's report of depression. Participants were classified, according to Institute of Medicine GWG guidelines (11-20 pounds), as either less than 11 pounds (LT11) or at/more than 11 pounds (GT11). Bivariate statistics compared demographics and pregnancy characteristics. Logistic regression used to estimate odds of primary outcome. RESULTS: Of 275 women, 96 (34.9%) gained LT11 and 179 (65.1%) gained GT11 during pregnancy. The rate of PPD was 8.7% (n = 24), 9 (9.4%) in the LT11 group and 15 (8.4%) in the GT11 group (p = 0.82, odds ratio: 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48, 2.69). When controlling for entry BMI and multiparity, adjusted odds of PPD was 1.07 (95% CI: 0.44, 2.63). No correlation was found between GWG and EPDS. CONCLUSION: A relationship between GWG and PPD in class III obese women was not found in this cohort.

Postpartum Weight Loss in Women with Class-III Obesity: Do They Lose What They Gain?

OBJECTIVE: Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) increases risk of postpartum weight retention in normal and overweight women but little is known about weight retention in morbidly obese women. We evaluated the impact of GWG on postpartum weight retention in women with class-III obesity. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort of pregnancies at a single institution from July 2013 to December 2017 complicated by body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 at entry to care. Women were classified as GWG within (WITHIN), less than (LESS), or greater than (MORE) Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recommendations. Women were excluded for multiples, late prenatal care, preterm birth, fetal anomalies, intrauterine demise, weight loss, and missing data. Primary outcome was achievement of intake weight at the postpartum visit. Logistic regression was used to adjust for confounding factors. RESULTS: Among 338 women, 93 (28%) gained WITHIN, 129 (38%) LESS, and 144 (43%) MORE. Women in the MORE group were less likely to achieve their intake weight at the postpartum visit (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.09 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.05-0.17, p < 0.01). Women gaining MORE were the only group who did not lose weight from intake to postpartum (Median weight change [LESS: -14 lbs (IQR: -20 to -7)] vs. [WITHIN: -7 lbs (IQR: -13 to -1)] vs. [MORE: 5 lbs (IQR: 0-15)]; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Excessive GWG in women with class-III obesity is associated with postpartum weight retention.

Putting the "M" back in maternal-fetal medicine: A 5-year report card on a collaborative effort to address maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have demonstrated continuous increased risk for maternal mortality and severe morbidity with racial disparities among non-Hispanic black women an important contributing factor. More than 50,000 women experienced severe maternal morbidity in 2014, with a mortality rate of 18.0 per 100,000, higher than in many other developed countries. In 2012, the first "Putting the 'M' back in Maternal-Fetal Medicine" session was held at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) Annual Meeting. With the realization that rising risk for severe maternal morbidity and mortality required action, the "M in MFM" meeting identified the following urgent needs: (i) to enhance education and training in maternal care for maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) fellows; (ii) to improve the medical care and management of pregnant women across the country; and (iii) to address critical research gaps in maternal medicine. Since that first meeting, a broad collaborative effort has made a number of major steps forward, including the proliferation of maternal mortality review committees, advances in research, increasing educational focus on maternal critical care, and development of comprehensive clinical strategies to reduce maternal risk. Five years later, the 2017 M in MFM meeting served as a "report card" looking back at progress made but also looking forward to what needs to be done over the next 5 years, given that too many mothers still experience preventable harm and adverse outcomes.

The First National Summit on Women's Health: The Future of Obstetrics and Gynecology Training.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the current challenges in obstetrics and gynecology residency education and propose solutions to overcome these obstacles. METHODS: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) hosted the first National Summit on Women's Health on May 31 and June 1, 2017, with a follow-up meeting December 20-21, 2017, at ACOG headquarters in Washington, DC. Invitees from 20 related societies briefly presented their organizations' perspectives and discussed focused questions about specific challenges, proposed solutions, and anticipated obstacles. Finally, participants summarized their top two recommendations to improve current residency training. RESULTS: Summit participants identified four primary areas of focus: 1) align curriculum with relevant topics to practice, 2) ensure faculty have the necessary resources and time to teach effectively, 3) consider using the final months of medical school to get a jump start on residency fund of knowledge and skills, and 4) use better assessments during the course of residency. CONCLUSION: Representatives of the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology, the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education must work together to address these priorities and reach consensus on the curricular content of core training in obstetrics and gynecology.