Enhanced recovery after scheduled cesarean delivery: a prospective pre-post intervention study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether an early recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway after scheduled cesarean delivery was associated with a reduction in postoperative length of stay compared with standard perioperative care. METHODS: This was a prospective pre- and post-intervention study. Women were included if they were between 18 and 45 years of age and delivered a singleton, term, non-anomalous fetus via scheduled cesarean delivery by a provider within an academic practice. The ERAS pathway consisted of 23 evidence-based components regarding preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care. The primary outcome was the rate of postoperative length of stay of 3 or more days. Secondary outcomes included total postoperative narcotic use, postoperative complications, 30-day hospital readmission rates, and quality of recovery questionnaire scores. RESULTS: A total of 116 women were included. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the pre- and post-implementation groups in the post-implementation group, surgery time was longer (78.3 ± 27.8 vs 59.1 ± 19.2 min, p < .001) and blood loss volume was higher (910.3 ± 405.1 vs 729.1 ± 202.0, p = .003), compared to pre-implementation group. An ERAS pathway was not associated in a significant reduction in postoperative length of stay of 3 or more days (70.7% vs 75.9%, p = .529). It was also not significantly associated with a difference in postoperative narcotic use, maximum pain score, transfusion, postoperative complications or hospital readmission rates. CONCLUSION: An early recovery after surgery pathway after scheduled cesarean delivery was not associated with a reduction in postoperative length of stay or narcotic use, though the recovery scores were better after implementation.

Severity of fetal growth restriction stratified according to maternal obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to ascertain if among women with fetal growth restriction (FGR; estimated fetal weight [EFW] < 10th percentile) the frequency of severe FGR (sFGR; EFW < 3rd percentile for gestational age) differed among various classes of obesity. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of all pregnancies complicated by FGR from August 2016- March 2019 at a single center, undergoing weekly antenatal surveillance (biophysical profiles and umbilical artery Doppler). Exclusion criteria included multiple gestation, prenatally diagnosed fetal anomalies, and unknown maternal body mass index (BMI) at the time of the ultrasound exam. We defined fetal growth restriction as an estimated fetal weight less than the 10th percentile for gestational age using Hadlock criteria. Severe FGR was defined as the estimated fetal weight below 3rd percentile for gestational age. Maternal BMI was categorized as non-obese (BMI ≤ 29.9), Class I obesity (30.0-34.9), and Class II or III obesity (≥35.0 kg/m2). Abnormal Dopplers were defined as absent or reversed end diastolic flow. Maternal characteristics and ultrasound findings were compared between groups. Categorical variables were compared by χ2 or Fisher's exact test and continuous variables were compared by t test or nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals by adjusting for potential confounders including maternal age, hypertensive disorders, pre-gestational and gestational diabetes, auto-immune disorders, and gestational age at diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 974 women that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 678 (70%) were not obese, 151 (15%) had class I obesity, and 145 (15%) had class II or III obesity. Obese women were significantly more likely to be multiparous and had a lower mean gestational age at diagnosis of FGR. Hypertensive disorders were more common with increasing BMI, as was type II diabetes mellitus (p < .01). There were no statistically significant differences between the obesity groups with regards to other comorbidities. Women with obesity classes I and II/III had significantly higher frequency of severe FGR (37.8%) as compared to non-obese women (29%; p < .05). The rates of abnormal Dopplers was more frequent with worsening obesity: 31.4%, 34.4%, and 46.2% for non-obese, class I obesity, and class II or III obesity, respectively (p < .01). There were no significant differences in amniotic fluid abnormalities or antenatal testing results. After adjustment for potential confounders, women with class I obesity had higher odds of having severe FGR (aOR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.0-2.1). There was also an increased odds of abnormal Dopplers among women with class II/III obesity, as compared to non-obese women, after adjusting for confounders (aOR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.2-2.6). CONCLUSION: Among women with FGR, obese women were more likely to have severe FGR and abnormal Dopplers compared to non-obese women. These findings warrant further study into predictors of adverse outcomes among obese women with FGR. Such information could be useful in counseling patients as to the possible course of disease after diagnosis of fetal growth restriction.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Maternal and Neonatal Adverse Outcomes in College-Educated Women.

OBJECTIVE: To compare composite maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes among women with at least a bachelor's degree by racial and ethnic groups. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study using the U.S. vital statistics data sets. We included women with at least a bachelor's degree who delivered a nonanomalous live singleton neonate at 24-40 weeks. The primary outcome, composite maternal adverse outcome, included admission to intensive care unit, maternal transfusion, ruptured uterus, unplanned hysterectomy, or unplanned operating room procedure after delivery. The secondary outcome, composite neonatal adverse outcome, included 5-minute Apgar score less than 5, assisted ventilation for more than 6 hours, neonatal seizure, birth injury, or neonatal death. Multivariable regression models were used to estimate the association between maternal race and adverse outcomes. RESULTS: Of 11.8 million live births, 2.2 million (19%) met the inclusion criteria; 81.5% were to non-Hispanic white women, 8.5% to non-Hispanic black women, and 10% Hispanic women. The overall rate of composite maternal adverse outcome was 5.3 per 1,000 live births. Compared with non-Hispanic white women, the risk of the composite maternal adverse outcome was significantly higher among non-Hispanic black women (adjusted relative risk [aRR] 1.20; 95% CI 1.13-1.27), but lower among Hispanic women (aRR 0.69; 95% CI 0.64-0.74), a pattern which varied among different gestational age groups. The overall rate of composite neonatal adverse outcome was 11.6 per 1,000 live births. The risk of composite neonatal adverse outcome was significantly higher among neonates with non-Hispanic black mothers (aRR 1.25; 95% CI 1.20-1.30), but lower among neonates with Hispanic mothers (aRR 0.71; 95% CI 0.68-0.75), compared with neonates delivered by non-Hispanic white mothers and varied across gestational age. CONCLUSION: Among women with at least a bachelor's degree, small but measurable racial and ethnic disparities in composite maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes.

Maternal race/ethnicity as a risk factor for cervical insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth (PTB) affects 1 in 9 pregnancies in the United States. There are well known but poorly understood racial/ethnic disparities in PTB rates. The role that racial/ethnic disparities in cervical insufficiency (CI) may play in the overall disparities in preterm birth rates is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to examine racial/ethnic differences in risk of CI. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of singleton pregnant women in 2012 who were members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), excluding elective termination, delivery outside KPNC, and loss to follow-up. The primary outcome was CI; the secondary outcomes included stillbirth, PTB, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission. We compared rates of these outcomes among women of different racial/ethnic background. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to assess other potential risk factors for CI, including maternal age, parity, medical co-morbidities, prior cervical procedures, prior pregnancy terminations, and history of PTB. RESULTS: A total of 34,173 women who were pregnant in 2012 were included in the study. The racial/ethnic makeup of the cohort was 38.6% White, 25.8% Asian, 25.1% Hispanic, 7% Black, and 3.5% other. Approximately 1% (401) of women were diagnosed with CI. Black women had a significantly higher rate of CI (3.2%) compared to White women (0.9%, P < 0.001) as well as higher rates of PTB (9.2%). Infants born to black women had higher rates of NICU care (8.7%) compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Regression analysis showed that Black race/ethnicity was significantly associated with CI compared to Whites (OR 2.89, 95% CI 2.13-3.92) after controlling for other variables associated with CI. CONCLUSION: Black women had higher odds of CI compared to White women. This disparity may contribute to the significantly higher rate of PTB among Black women nationally. Further investigation of this association may provide important contributions to our understanding of both CI and PTB.