Variation in Family Involvement on Rounds Between English-Speaking and Spanish-Speaking Families.

BACKGROUND: Family-centered rounds (FCR) is the standard of care in inpatient pediatrics. Results of studies have revealed that Spanish-speaking families can experience communication challenges and decreased empowerment on rounds. In our study, we aim to identify variation in FCR practices for Spanish-speaking compared to English-speaking families and factors contributing to these disparities. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional observational study performed by secondary analysis of a quality improvement initiative conducted at a quaternary children's hospital. Data were collected from June 2019 to March 2020 by using observational audits. Encounters were analyzed to compare key elements of FCR (including rounds location, elicitation of family questions, involvement in discharge planning) for English-speaking and Spanish-speaking families. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare family involvement in FCR. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate unmeasured confounding. RESULTS: Rounding encounters included 394 families (261 English-speaking and 133 Spanish-speaking). Fewer Spanish-speaking families were included in the medical team's discussion on rounds (64.7% vs 76.3%, P = .017), were asked about questions at the start of rounds (44.4% vs 56.3%, P = .025), or were involved in discussion of discharge criteria (72.2% vs 82.8%, P = .018) when compared to English-speaking families. These differences were magnified for resident teams rounding with subspecialists. The finding of decreased family involvement in the discussion on rounds persisted after adjusting for patient age and team type. CONCLUSIONS: Spanish-speaking families were less likely to be involved in FCR compared to English-speaking families. Further investigation is needed to explore the root causes of this practice variation and to develop interventions to address disparities.

What I Learned From the Antivaccine Movement.

The following is the runner-up submission from the third annual Section on Pediatric Trainees essay competition. This year's competition was informed by the 2018-2019 Section on Pediatric Trainees Advocacy Campaign: Advocacy Adventure, which empowered trainees to find their areas of passion, acquire and polish new skills, and organize advocacy efforts collaboratively. We asked writers to share experiences as physician advocates and were impressed with the broad variety of important topics submitted by trainees from around the country. This essay by Dr Ju describes advocating at the California state level for childhood immunization protections, which transformed her perspective of those who hold a different view. Along with the winning submission by Drs Panda and Garg that also appears in this issue, this piece is a wonderfully inspiring reminder that we are all well positioned to advocate for children in our roles as trainees and pediatricians.

Maternal Obesity and Risk of Preterm Birth and Low Birthweight in Hawaii PRAMS, 2000-2011.

Objective Maternal obesity is a risk factor for preterm birth, a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) have high rates of poor birth outcomes. Despite the high rates of obesity in NHOPI in Hawaii, the association with preterm birth has not been examined in this population. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study of 20,061 women using data collected by Hawaii's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) from 2000 to 2011. We investigated the contribution of maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, gestational diabetes, hypertension, race, socioeconomic status, and smoking to our primary outcomes of preterm birth and low birthweight using multivariable logistic regression, stratified by NHOPI versus non-NHOPI race. Results Pre-pregnancy obesity was more common in NHOPI than non-NHOPI women (23.9 and 10.5%, respectively; p < 0.01). Overall, the risk for preterm birth increased with maternal obesity (BMI ≥ 30.0; aOR = 1.24, 95% CI 1.06-1.45, p < 0.01), compared with normal weight women. Among NHOPI women, the prevalence of preterm birth was elevated compared with non-NHOPI women although the prevalence of low birth weight was lower. After adjusting for confounders, risk for preterm birth and low birth weight were elevated in NHOPI women compared with White women. Maternal obesity did not significantly affect the risk of prematurity within the NHOPI group. Conclusions for Practice Our study demonstrates an association between maternal pre-pregnancy obesity and preterm deliveries in Hawaii. NHOPI have high rates of pre-pregnancy obesity as well as increased risk of both preterm delivery and low birthweight when compared to White women. Further data are needed to assess interactions between race, maternal health, and neonatal morbidity, and to identify ways to improve birth outcomes for minority populations in the state of Hawaii.