Assessing safe and personalised maternity and neonatal care through a pandemic: a case study of outcomes and experiences in two trusts in England using the ASPIRE COVID-19 framework.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in profound and far-reaching impacts on maternal and newborn care and outcomes. As part of the ASPIRE COVID-19 project, we describe processes and outcome measures relating to safe and personalised maternity care in England which we map against a pre-developed ASPIRE framework to establish the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for two UK trusts. METHODS: We undertook a mixed-methods system-wide case study using quantitative routinely collected data and qualitative data from two Trusts and their service users from 2019 to 2021 (start and completion dates varied by available data). We mapped findings to our prior ASPIRE conceptual framework that explains pathways for the impact of COVID-19 on safe and personalised care. RESULTS: The ASPIRE framework enabled us to develop a comprehensive, systems-level understanding of the impact of the pandemic on service delivery, user experience and staff wellbeing, and place it within the context of pre-existing challenges. Maternity services experienced some impacts on core service coverage, though not on Trust level clinical health outcomes (with the possible exception of readmissions in one Trust). Both users and staff found some pandemic-driven changes challenging such as remote or reduced antenatal and community postnatal contacts, and restrictions on companionship. Other key changes included an increased need for mental health support, changes in the availability and uptake of home birth services and changes in induction procedures. Many emergency adaptations persisted at the end of data collection. Differences between the trusts indicate complex change pathways. Staff reported some removal of bureaucracy, which allowed greater flexibility. During the first wave of COVID-19 staffing numbers increased, resolving some pre-pandemic shortages: however, by October 2021 they declined markedly. Trying to maintain the quality and availability of services had marked negative consequences for personnel. Timely routine clinical and staffing data were not always available and personalised care and user and staff experiences were poorly captured. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 crisis magnified pre-pandemic problems and in particular, poor staffing levels. Maintaining services took a significant toll on staff wellbeing. There is some evidence that these pressures are continuing. There was marked variation in Trust responses. Lack of accessible and timely data at Trust and national levels hampered rapid insights. The ASPIRE COVID-19 framework could be useful for modelling the impact of future crises on routine care.

Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practice of health providers towards the provision of postpartum intrauterine devices in Nepal: a two-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Health service providers play a key role in addressing women's need for postpartum pregnancy prevention. Yet, in Nepal, little is known about providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) on providing postpartum family planning (PPFP), particularly the immediate postpartum intrauterine device (PPIUD). This paper assesses providers KAP towards the provision of PPIUDs in Nepal prior to a PPIUD intervention to gain a baseline insight and analyzes whether their KAP changes both 6 and 24 months after the start of the intervention. METHODS: Data come from a randomized trial assessing the impact of a PPIUD intervention in Nepal between 2015 and 2017. We interviewed 96 providers working in six study hospitals who completed a baseline interview and follow-up interviews at 6 and 24 months. We used descriptive analysis, McNemar's test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test to assess KAP of providers over 2 years. RESULTS: The PPIUD KAP scores improved significantly between the baseline and 6-month follow-up. Knowledge scores increased from 2.9 out of 4 to 3.5, attitude scores increased from 4 out of 7 to 5.3, and practice scores increased from 0.9 out of 3 to 2.8. There was a significant increase in positive attitude and practice between 6 and 24 months. Knowledge on a women's chance of getting pregnant while using an IUD was poor. Attitudes on recommending a PPIUD to different women significantly improved, however, attitudes towards recommending a PPIUD to unmarried women and women who have had an ectopic pregnancy improved the least. Practice of PPIUD counseling and insertion improved significantly from baseline to 24 months, from 10.4 and 9.4% to 99% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Although KAP improved significantly among providers during the PPIUD intervention, providers' knowledge on a women's chance of getting pregnant while using an IUD and attitudes towards recommending a PPIUD to unmarried women and women who have had an ectopic pregnancy improved the least. Provider KAP could be improved further through ongoing and more in-depth training to maintain providers' knowledge, reduce provider bias and misconceptions about PPIUD eligibility, and to ensure providers understand the importance of birth spacing.

Integrating postpartum IUD counselling and insertion into routine maternity care in Nepal: Assessing trends over time.

To meet the postpartum family planning (PPFP) needs of women in Nepal, an intervention was launched to integrate PPFP counselling and postpartum IUD (PPIUD) insertion into maternity care. Women delivering in study hospitals over a period of 18 months were interviewed at the time of delivery and at 15 months following the end of the study enrollment period to assess if the impact of the intervention observed at the end of the study was maintained. Data were collected prior to the intervention, at the middle month of the intervention roll out, at the end of the enrollment period and 15 months after the end of the enrollment period. We compared PPFP counselling and insertion rates before, during, at the end of and after the intervention study period, using cross-tabulation and chi-square tests. Overall, PPFP counselling rates increased from 11% at the baseline month to 45% at the end of the enrollment in February 2017 and remained the same 15 months later in July 2018. PPIUD uptake, however, rose from a negligible 0.1% at the baseline to 4.3% in February 2017, but declined to 3.4% in July 2018. PPIUD uptake among women who were counselled showed a similar trend, increasing from 1.9% at the baseline to 9.6% in February 2017 and declining to 6.0% in July 2018. The intervention had an appreciable continued impact on PPIUD counselling rates and although PPIUD uptake rose during the intervention, this trend was not observed in the 15 months post-study follow up. The impact of the intervention was greater and persistent in hospitals that had a longer period of exposure to intervention. The results suggest that counselling was well integrated with the maternity care, though uptake of PPIUD dropped after intervention activities such as active monitoring, technical supervision, provision of IUDs and training were withdrawn. Trial registration: This study has been registered with Clinical Trial.gov. The registration number is NCT02718222. Details about the study design have been published by Canning et al, 2016.

Prevalence and correlates of sex-selective abortions and missing girls in Nepal: evidence from the 2011 Population Census and 2016 Demographic and Health Survey.

OBJECTIVES: These were to: (1) produce national and subnational estimates of the sex ratio at birth (SRB) and number of missing girl births in Nepal and (2) understand the socioeconomic correlates of these phenomena. DESIGN: Observational secondary data analysis of (1) the 2011 population census of Nepal and (2) the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2006, 2011 and 2016. SETTING: Nepal. PARTICIPANTS: (1) 2 567 963 children age 0-4 in the 2011 population census and (2) 27 329 births recorded in DHSs. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: We estimate the SRB, and number and proportion of missing girls in the year and 5 years before the census by district. We also calculate conditional sex ratios (the SRB dependant on parity and sex of previous children) by province, time, education and wealth. RESULTS: We find that 11 districts have significantly skewed sex ratios at birth in the 2011 population census, with the highest SRBs observed in Arghakhanchi (SRB=127) and Bhaktapur (SRB=123). 22 540 girl births were missing in the 5 years before the 2011 population census. Sex-selective abortion is geographically concentrated, especially in the Kathmandu Valley and Lumbini Province, with 53% of missing girls found in only 11 out of 75 districts.DHS data confirm this, with elevated conditional sex ratios observed in Bagmati and Lumbini Provinces; conditional sex ratios where previous births were all female also became more skewed over time. Skewed sex ratios are concentrated among wealthier more educated groups. CONCLUSIONS: It is clear that sex selection will persist and develop in Nepal unless a coordinated effort is made to address both the demand for and supply of this service. Policies should be holistic and encompass economic and legal gender equity, and strengthen monitoring mechanisms to prevent technology misuse, without jeopardising the right to safe, free and legal abortion.

Potential Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nepal.

The national lockdown imposed in Nepal as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is having indirect consequences on sexual and reproductive (SRH) in Nepal. Although the Government of Nepal and partners have committed to ensuring the continuity of SRH services during the pandemic, this comment aims to illustrate the potential impacts to SRH if these commitments are not met. Keywords: COVID-19; Nepal; reproductive health; sexual health.

Provider and Women Characteristics as Risk Factors for Postpartum Copper IUD Expulsion and Discontinuation in Nepal.

CONTEXT: Providers' and women's characteristics are associated with postpartum copper IUD (PPIUD) outcomes, but the relationship between providers' level of experience and PPIUD expulsion and discontinuation has not been established. METHODS: Data on 1,232 women and 118 providers who took part in a randomized trial of a PPIUD counselling and provision intervention in Nepal between 2015 and 2017 were used to identify associations between providers' and women's characteristics and PPIUD outcomes. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate PPIUD expulsion and discontinuation risks at two years after insertion. RESULTS: Thirteen percent of women had had partial or complete expulsions and 29% had discontinued PPIUD use by two years. Having a provider who had done at least 10 previous insertions was associated with lower risk of expulsion rather than continuation (relative risk ratio, 0.5) relative to having a less-experienced provider. Women had a higher risk of both expulsion and discontinuation relative to continuation if they were younger than 21 rather than aged 26-30 (2.4 and 1.7, respectively) or if they belonged to the Dalit rather than Brahmin caste (2.2 and 1.9, respectively). Women whose husbands did not live at home also had elevated discontinuation risks. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the need for increased training and supervision of providers during their first 10 PPIUD insertions. Counselling on risk of expulsion may especially benefit younger and Dalit women, and should include partners and other family members to avoid any stigma surrounding PPIUD use by women whose partner is away from home for a prolonged period.

RESUMEN Contexto: Las características de proveedores de servicios de salud y mujeres están asociadas con los resultados del DIU de cobre posparto (DIUPP), pero no se ha establecido la relación entre la experiencia de los proveedores de servicios de salud y la expulsión y discontinuación del DIUPP. Metodos: Se utilizaron datos de 1,232 mujeres y 118 proveedores de servicios de salud que participaron en un ensayo aleatorio de una intervención de consejería y provisión de DIUPP en Nepal entre 2015 y 2017, para identificar asociaciones entre las características de proveedores de servicios de salud y mujeres y los resultados relacionados con el DIUPP. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística multinomial para estimar los riesgos de expulsión y discontinuación de DIUPP dos años después de la inserción. Resultados: El 13% de las mujeres había tenido expulsiones parciales o completas y el 29% había descontinuado el uso de DIUPP a los dos años. Haber tenido un proveedor con experiencia de al menos 10 inserciones previas en comparación con un proveedor con menos experiencia se asoció con un menor riesgo de expulsión en lugar de continuación (índice de riesgo relativo 0.5). Las mujeres tuvieron un mayor riesgo tanto de expulsión como de discontinuación si eran menores de 21 años, en lugar de tener entre 26 y 30 (2.4 y 1.7, respectivamente), o si pertenecían a la casta dalit en lugar de a la casta brahmán (2.2 y 1.9, respectivamente). Las mujeres cuyos maridos no vivían en casa también tenían un riesgo elevado de discontinuación del tratamiento. Conclusión: Los hallazgos destacan la necesidad de una mayor capacitación y supervisión de los proveedores de servicios de salud durante sus primeras 10 inserciones de DIUPP. La consejería sobre el riesgo de expulsión podría beneficiar especialmente a las mujeres más jóvenes y que pertenecen a la casta dalit; y debe incluir a las parejas y otros miembros de la familia para evitar cualquier estigma en torno al uso de DIUPP por parte de las mujeres cuya pareja está fuera de casa durante un período prolongado.

RÉSUMÉN Contexte: Les caractéristiques des prestataires et des femmes sont associées aux résultats du DIU au cuivre post-partum (DIUPP), mais le rapport entre l'expérience des prestataires, l'expulsion du DIUPP et l'arrêt de la méthode n'a pas été établi. Méthodes: Les données relatives à 1 232 femmes et 118 prestataires ayant participé à un essai randomisé d'intervention de conseil et de pose d'un DIUPP au Népal entre 2015 et 2017 ont permis d'identifier les associations entre les caractéristiques des prestataires et des femmes et les résultats relatifs au DIUPP. Les risques d'expulsion du DIUPP et d'arrêt de la méthode ont été estimés à deux ans après la pose par modélisation de régression logistique multinomiale. Résultats: Treize pour cent des femmes avaient connu une expulsion partielle ou complète et 29% avaient arrêté l'utilisation du DIUPP en l'espace de de deux ans. Le fait d'avoir un prestataire ayant pratiqué au moins 10 poses antérieures s'est avéré associé à un risque moindre d'expulsion que de continuation (rapport de risque relatif de 0,5), par rapport au fait d'avoir eu un prestataire moins expérimenté. Les femmes couraient un plus grand risque d'expulsion aussi bien que d'arrêt de la méthode si elles avaient moins de 21 ans par rapport à la tranche d'âge de 26 à 30 ans (2,4 et 1,7, respectivement) ou si elles appartenaient à la caste des Dalits plutôt que des Brahmanes (2,2 et 1,9, respectivement). Les femmes dont le mari ne vivait pas sous le même toit présentaient aussi de plus hauts risques d'arrêt. Conclusion: Les résultats révèlent clairement la nécessité d'une formation et d'un encadrement accrus des prestataires lors de leurs 10 premières poses de DIUPP. Le conseil relatif au risque d'expulsion pourrait bénéficier tout particulièrement aux femmes plus jeunes et de la caste des Dalits. Il doit aussi inclure les partenaires et d'autres membres de la famille pour éviter toute stigmatisation concernant l'utilisation du DIUPP par les femmes dont le partenaire est absent pendant une période prolongée.