An assessment of postpartum contraception rates with evolving care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic presented new care delivery obstacles in the form of scheduling procedures and safe presentation to in-person visits. Contraception provision is an indispensable component of postpartum care that was not immune to these challenges. Given the barriers to care during the initial months of the pandemic, we sought to examine how postpartum contraception, sterilization, and visit attendance were affected during this period. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective chart review to examine contraception initiation, sterilization, and postpartum virtual and in-person visit attendance rates during the first six months (March 15 to September 7, 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the rates in the same period in the year prior at a single tertiary academic care center. We abstracted data from the first prenatal visit through twelve weeks postpartum. RESULTS: With the initiation of virtual appointments, postpartum visit attendance significantly increased (94.6 % vs 88.4 %, p < 0.001) during the pandemic with no difference in overall contraception uptake (51 % vs 54.1 %, p = 0.2) or sterilization (11.0 % vs 11.5 %, p = 0.88). During the pandemic, contraception prescribed differed significantly with a trend towards patient-administered methods including pills, patches, and rings (21 % vs 16 %, p = 0.02). In both periods, there was a significantly younger mean age (p < 0.001), higher proportion of non-White and non-Asian race (p < 0.001), public insurance (p = 0.003, 0.004), and an established contraceptive plan prenatally (p < 0.001) in the group that received contraception. CONCLUSION: As virtual postpartum visits were instituted, contraception initiation and sterilization were maintained at pre-pandemic rates and visit attendance rose despite the obstacles to care presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Provision of virtual postpartum visits may be a driver to maintain contraception and sterilization rates at a time, such as early in the COVID-19 pandemic, when patient care is at risk to be disrupted by social distancing, isolation, and avoidance of medical campuses.

Multidisciplinary care of the pregnant patient with or at risk for venous thromboembolism: a recommended toolkit from the Foundation for Women and Girls with Blood Disorders Thrombosis Subcommittee.

The care of pregnant persons with/at risk of venous thromboembolism is complex and often challenging. Although guidelines have been published regarding the use of specific therapies, such as anticoagulants; in this population, none have provided guidance on how to coordinate multidisciplinary care of these patients. Here we provide an expert consensus on the role of various providers in the care of this patient population, as well as necessary resources and suggestions for best practices.

Association between peripartum hysterectomy and venous thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: The risk of venous thromboembolism after delivery is modified by mode of delivery, with the risk of venous thromboembolism being higher after cesarean delivery than vaginal delivery. The risk of venous thromboembolism after peripartum hysterectomy is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the incidence and risk of venous thromboembolism among women who had and did not have a peripartum hysterectomy. Furthermore, we sought to compare the risk of venous thromboembolism after hysterectomy with other patient, pregnancy, and delivery risk factors known to be associated with venous thromboembolism. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study of women with delivery encounters identified in the Nationwide Readmissions Database from October 2015 to December 2017. Delivery encounters and all variables of interest were identified using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision diagnosis and procedure codes. The incidence of venous thromboembolism during delivery and rehospitalizations within 6 weeks after discharge was compared among women who had and did not have a peripartum hysterectomy. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to estimate associations between venous thromboembolism and hysterectomy, adjusted for the following characteristics: maternal age, payer at time of delivery, obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, tobacco use, multifetal gestation, peripartum infection, and peripartum hemorrhage. Similarly, venous thromboembolism risk was compared by mode of delivery, including hysterectomy. Diagnoses that may have been indications for peripartum hysterectomy were identified among patients who underwent a hysterectomy and compared between those who did and did not have venous thromboembolism. Analyses used survey weights to obtain population estimates. RESULTS: Of the 4,419,037 women with deliveries, 5098 (11.5 per 10,000 deliveries) underwent a hysterectomy. Moreover, 110 patients (215.8 per 10,000 deliveries) were diagnosed with venous thromboembolism after hysterectomy. The risk of venous thromboembolism was significantly higher in women who underwent a hysterectomy than in women who did not have a hysterectomy (unadjusted odds ratio, 25.1 [95% confidence interval, 20.0-31.5]; adjusted odds ratio, 11.2 [95% confidence interval, 8.7-14.5]; P<.001). Comparing the risk of venous thromboembolism by mode of delivery, the unadjusted and adjusted incidences of venous thromboembolism were 6.9 (95% confidence interval, 6.5-7.3) and 7.4 (95% confidence interval, 6.9-7.8) per 10,000 deliveries among women after vaginal delivery without peripartum hysterectomy, 12.5 (95% confidence interval, 11.8-13.1) and 11.3 (95% confidence interval, 10.7-12.0) per 10,000 deliveries after cesarean delivery without hysterectomy; and 217.2 (95% confidence interval, 169.1-265.2) and 96.9 (95% confidence interval 76.9-126.5) per 10,000 deliveries after hysterectomy, regardless of mode of delivery. Of the 110 diagnoses of venous thromboembolism with peripartum hysterectomy, 89 (81%) occurred during delivery admission. Of the remaining 21 cases, 50% occurred within the first 10 days after discharge from delivery, and 75% occurred within 25 days after discharge. CONCLUSION: These findings have demonstrated that peripartum hysterectomy is associated with a markedly increased risk of venous thromboembolism in the postpartum period, even when controlling for other known risk factors for postpartum thromboembolic events. Here, the incidence of venous thromboembolism after peripartum hysterectomy (2.2%) met some guideline-based risk thresholds for routine thromboprophylaxis, potentially for at least 2 weeks after delivery. Further investigation into the role of routine venous thromboembolism prophylaxis during and after delivery is needed.

Postpartum readmission and uninsurance at readmission for Medicaid vs privately insured births.

BACKGROUND: Routine postpartum care is essential for managing pregnancy complications, like hypertension and diabetes, or screening for new conditions, such as depression. Insurance coverage can impact women's ability to access these postpartum services, with women who change or lose insurance postpartum having a lower likelihood of receiving the recommended postpartum care. Pregnancy-related Medicaid eligibility is only federally guaranteed for a minimum of 60 days after birth, creating the potential for publicly insured women to lose their insurance and their access to postpartum care. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the rates of postpartum readmission and predictors of uninsurance at readmission before and after 60 days postpartum for Medicaid vs privately paid births. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study in which data from the 2017 Nationwide Readmissions Database were used. Women who delivered with Medicaid or private insurance between January 2017 and June 2017 were included. Potential readmissions that were identified between 0 and 180 days after their childbirth hospitalization were included. The primary outcomes of interest were postpartum readmission and delivery payer at postpartum readmission, evaluated at 30-day intervals up to 180 days postpartum. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine the association of the risk for readmission and the risk for being uninsured at the time of readmission with insurance provider at the time of delivery. The analysis was also conducted for a subset of acute-cause readmissions or those not likely to be related to chronic or preexisting medical conditions. RESULTS: A total of 24,719 (2.7%) patients were readmitted within 180 days after delivery: 14,179 (54.1%) had Medicaid delivery insurance and 10,540 (40.2%) had private insurance at delivery. Readmission rates decreased over the time intervals after delivery for both delivery payer types, but were consistently higher for those with Medicaid. The rate of uninsurance at readmission increased more with each postpartum month for those with Medicaid than for those with private insurance at delivery: from 0.9% (95% confidence interval, 0.7-1.1) at 0 to 30 days to 9.7% (95% confidence interval, 8.1-11.6) at 150 to 180 days postpartum for those with Medicaid and from 0.2% (95% confidence interval, 0.1-0.4) at 0 to 30 days to 2.6% (95% confidence interval, 1.6-4.1) at 150 to 180 days postpartum for those with private insurance. Medicaid coverage at the time of delivery was a significant predictor of being readmitted (adjusted odds ratio, 1.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-1.97) and uninsured at the time of readmission (adjusted odds ratio, 3.99; 95% confidence interval, 2.88-5.52) when compared with being privately insured. Findings were similar for the acute-cause readmissions. CONCLUSION: Women with Medicaid at delivery have a higher risk for readmission and uninsurance at readmission than privately insured women beyond 60 days postpartum. This analysis provides further evidence of the insurance instability women face in the postpartum period, especially by those insured by Medicaid at the time of delivery, and should promote discussions among policymakers, payers, and providers on strategies to ensure coverage and access to care for women and their families after childbirth. For states considering to expand their eligibility criteria to 1 year postpartum, this study provides evidence on the vulnerabilities and unique risks that women with Medicaid face after 60 days postpartum.

Counseling for personal health implications identified during reproductive genetic carrier screening.

OBJECTIVE: Preconception and prenatal carrier screening is designed to provide reproductive risk information, but carriers for some autosomal recessive or X-linked conditions also have personal health risks. This study investigated the prevalence of and inclusion of personal health implications in pre- and post-test counseling. METHODS: Twelve genetic conditions with personal health risks for carriers included on carrier screening panels but not otherwise screened routinely were identified (e.g., Gaucher disease with Parkinson's disease risk). A retrospective review was performed of patients with a positive carrier screen for one of these conditions at our center from 2012 to 2019. RESULTS: Of 6147 individuals that had carrier screening for one of the twelve conditions, 96 (1.56%) did not report a known family history and screened positive for one of the conditions. Testing was ordered largely by reproductive endocrinologists (51.0%) and genetic counselors (35.4%). Most individuals did not receive pre- (96.8%) or post-test (64.6%) counseling about personal health risks. Post-test counseling was performed principally by genetic counselors (97.1%). For carriers of conditions with guidelines for specialist referral, most individuals (75.9%) were referred. CONCLUSION: Expanded genetic carrier screening increasingly identifies individuals with personal health implications, but patients are frequently not counseled before or after testing. These findings stress the importance of developing guidelines for practitioners about expanded carrier screening counseling and follow-up.

Effect of Delayed vs Immediate Umbilical Cord Clamping on Maternal Blood Loss in Term Cesarean Delivery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping in term neonates for at least 30 to 60 seconds after birth. Most literature supporting this practice is from low-risk vaginal deliveries. There are no published data specific to cesarean delivery. Objective: To compare maternal blood loss with immediate cord clamping vs delayed cord clamping in scheduled cesarean deliveries at term (≥37 weeks). Design, Setting, and Participants: Randomized clinical trial performed at 2 hospitals within a tertiary academic medical center in New York City from October 2017 to February 2018 (follow-up completed March 15, 2018). A total of 113 women undergoing scheduled cesarean delivery of term singleton gestations were included. Interventions: In the immediate cord clamping group (n = 56), cord clamping was within 15 seconds after birth. In the delayed cord clamping group (n = 57), cord clamping was at 60 seconds after birth. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was change in maternal hemoglobin level from preoperative to postoperative day 1, which was used as a proxy for maternal blood loss. Secondary outcomes included neonatal hemoglobin level at 24 to 72 hours of life. Results: All of the 113 women who were randomized (mean [SD] age, 32.6 [5.2] years) completed the trial. The mean preoperative hemoglobin level was 12.0 g/dL in the delayed and 11.6 g/dL in the immediate cord clamping group. The mean postoperative day 1 hemoglobin level was 10.1 g/dL in the delayed group and 9.8 g/dL in the immediate group. There was no significant difference in the primary outcome, with a mean hemoglobin change of -1.90 g/dL (95% CI, -2.14 to -1.66) and -1.78 g/dL (95% CI, -2.03 to -1.54) in the delayed and immediate cord clamping groups, respectively (mean difference, 0.12 g/dL [95% CI, -0.22 to 0.46]; P = .49). Of 19 prespecified secondary outcomes analyzed, 15 showed no significant difference. The mean neonatal hemoglobin level, available for 90 neonates (79.6%), was significantly higher with delayed (18.1 g/dL [95% CI, 17.4 to 18.8]) compared with immediate (16.4 g/dL [95% CI, 15.9 to 17.0]) cord clamping (mean difference, 1.67 g/dL [95% CI, 0.75 to 2.59]; P < .001). There was 1 unplanned hysterectomy in each group. Conclusions and Relevance: Among women undergoing scheduled cesarean delivery of term singleton pregnancies, delayed umbilical cord clamping, compared with immediate cord clamping, resulted in no significant difference in the change in maternal hemoglobin level at postoperative day 1. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03150641.