Estimates of avoided costs attributed to a short cervix screening program to prevent preterm birth from the perspective of the Unified Health System (SUS).

OBJECTIVE: To perform an economic cost analysis of the implementation of a short cervix screening program to reduce preterm birth in singleton pregnancies in a short-term time horizon. METHODS: We performed a cost-benefit economic analysis using the P5 trial database, a randomized multicenter clinical trial for prevention of preterm birth. Data collection was conducted from July 2015 to March 2019 in 17 different Brazilian hospitals. We conducted a cost analysis for universal cervical screening in singleton pregnancies between 18 weeks and 22 weeks plus 6 days. In subjects with a cervical length ≤ 25 mm, the analysis incorporated the costs of administering 200 mg/day of vaginal progesterone prophylactically until 36 weeks gestation. These findings were subsequently compared with the economic implications of forgoing cervical screening. The time horizon comprised from birth to 10 weeks postpartum. The outcome was measured monetarily in Brazilian real (R$) from the perspective of the Unified Health System. RESULTS: Among 7,844 women, 6.67% (523) had a cervix ≤ 25 mm. The cost of screening with transvaginal ultrasound and vaginal progesterone for prevention of births with < 34 weeks was estimated at R$ 383,711.36, while non-screening generated an estimated additional cost of R$ 446,501.69 (related to the 29 non-screened preterm deliveries). Thus, screening and prophylaxis would generate a final cost reduction of R$ 62,790.33, constituting a possible cost-benefit strategy. CONCLUSION: Universal short cervix screening for preterm birth has lower costs compared to non-screening within a short-term time horizon, which suggests an interesting benefit-cost ratio. Future studies should consider the cost-effectiveness of prophylactic treatment using sensitivity analyses in different scenarios within the Brazilian health system, as well as analyses that consider the long-term costs associated with preterm births, to robustly justify the implementation of a short cervix screening program.

Estimates of avoided costs attributed to a short cervix screening program to prevent preterm birth from the perspective of the Unified Health System (SUS) / Estimativa de custos evitados atribuídos a um programa de rastreio de colo curto para prevenção da prematuridade na perspectiva do SUS

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To perform an economic cost analysis of the implementation of a short cervix screening program to reduce preterm birth in singleton pregnancies in a short-term time horizon. METHODS We performed a cost-benefit economic analysis using the P5 trial database, a randomized multicenter clinical trial for prevention of preterm birth. Data collection was conducted from July 2015 to March 2019 in 17 different Brazilian hospitals. We conducted a cost analysis for universal cervical screening in singleton pregnancies between 18 weeks and 22 weeks plus 6 days. In subjects with a cervical length ≤ 25 mm, the analysis incorporated the costs of administering 200 mg/day of vaginal progesterone prophylactically until 36 weeks gestation. These findings were subsequently compared with the economic implications of forgoing cervical screening. The time horizon comprised from birth to 10 weeks postpartum. The outcome was measured monetarily in Brazilian real (R$) from the perspective of the Unified Health System. RESULTS Among 7,844 women, 6.67% (523) had a cervix ≤ 25 mm. The cost of screening with transvaginal ultrasound and vaginal progesterone for prevention of births with < 34 weeks was estimated at R$ 383,711.36, while non-screening generated an estimated additional cost of R$ 446,501.69 (related to the 29 non-screened preterm deliveries). Thus, screening and prophylaxis would generate a final cost reduction of R$ 62,790.33, constituting a possible cost-benefit strategy. CONCLUSION Universal short cervix screening for preterm birth has lower costs compared to non-screening within a short-term time horizon, which suggests an interesting benefit-cost ratio. Future studies should consider the cost-effectiveness of prophylactic treatment using sensitivity analyses in different scenarios within the Brazilian health system, as well as analyses that consider the long-term costs associated with preterm births, to robustly justify the implementation of a short cervix screening program.

RESUMO OBJETIVO Realizar uma análise econômica de custo da implementação de um programa de rastreio de colo curto para redução da prematuridade em gestações únicas num horizonte temporal de curto prazo. MÉTODOS Realizamos uma análise econômica do tipo custo-benefício utilizando o banco de dados do P5 trial, um ensaio clínico multicêntrico randomizado para prevenção da prematuridade. A coleta de dados ocorreu de julho de 2015 a março de 2019 em 17 diferentes hospitais do Brasil. Comparamos os custos do rastreamento universal em mulheres com gestação única de 18 a 22 semanas e 6 dias associado à progesterona vaginal profilática 200 mg/dia até 36 semanas naquelas com colo ≤ 25 mm com os do não rastreamento. O horizonte temporal foi do nascimento até 10 semanas após o parto. O desfecho foi medido monetariamente em real brasileiro (R$) na perspectiva do Sistema Único de Saúde. RESULTADOS Entre 7.844 mulheres, 6,67% (523) apresentaram colo ≤ 25mm. O custo do rastreio com a ultrassonografia transvaginal mais a progesterona vaginal para prevenção de nascimentos < 34 semanas foi estimado em R$ 383.711,36, enquanto o não rastreamento gerou custo adicional estimado de R$ 446.501,69 (relacionado aos 29 partos prematuros não rastreados). Assim, o rastreamento mais a profilaxia geraria uma redução de custo final de R$ 62.790,33, apresentando-se como uma possível estratégia de custo-benefício. CONCLUSÃO O rastreamento universal de colo curto para prematuridade apresenta menores custos em relação ao não rastreamento dentro de um horizonte temporal de curto prazo, o que sugere uma interessante relação de custo versus benefício. Novos estudos que considerem a custo-efetividade do tratamento profilático utilizando-se de análises de sensibilidade em diferentes cenários dentro do sistema de saúde brasileiro, assim como análises que considerem os custos de longo prazo atrelados ao nascimento prematuro, são necessários para justificar com robustez a implementação de um programa de rastreamento.

Head circumference as an epigenetic risk factor for maternal nutrition.

Nutrition indicators for malnutrition can be screened by many signs such as stunting, underweight or obesity, muscle wasting, and low caloric and nutrients intake. Those deficiencies are also associated with low socioeconomic status. Anthropometry can assess nutritional status by maternal weight measurements during pregnancy. However, most studies have focused primarily on identifying changes in weight or Body Mass Index (BMI), and their effects on neonatal measures at present time. Whereas head circumference (HC) has been associated with nutrition in the past. When the mother was exposed to poor nutrition and unfavorable social conditions during fetal life, it was hypothesized that the intergenerational cycle was potentially mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. To investigate this theory, maternal head circumference (MHC) was associated with neonatal head circumference (NHC) in pregnant women without preexisting chronic conditions, differentiated by sociodemographic characteristics. A multiple linear regression model showed that each 1 cm-increase in MHC correlated with a 0.11 cm increase in NHC (ß95% CI 0.07 to 0.15). Notwithstanding, associations between maternal and neonatal anthropometrics according to gestational age at birth have been extensively explained. Path analysis showed the influence of social status and the latent variable was socioeconomic status. A model of maternal height and head circumference was tested with effects on neonatal HC. The social variable lacked significance to predict neonatal HC in the total sample (p = 0.212) and in the South/Southeast (p = 0.095), in contrast to the Northeast (p = 0.047). This study highlights the potential intergenerational influence of maternal nutrition on HC, suggesting that maternal nutrition may be more relevant in families with major social vulnerability.

Multidimensional assessment of women after severe maternal morbidity: the COMMAG cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To perform a multidimensional assessment of women who experienced severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and its short-term and medium-term impact on the lives and health of women and their children. DESIGN: A retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A tertiary maternity hospital from the southeast region of Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: The exposed population was selected from intensive care unit admissions if presenting any diagnostic criteria for SMM. Controls were randomly selected among women without SMM admitted to the same maternity and same time of childbirth. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME VARIABLES: Validated tools were applied, addressing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and quality of life (SF-36) by phone, and then general and reproductive health, functioning (WHO Disability Assessment Schedule), sexual function (Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)), substance abuse (Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test 2.0) and growth/development (Denver Developmental Screening Test) of children born in the index pregnancy in a face-to-face interview. RESULTS: All instruments were applied to 638 women (315 had SMM; 323 were controls, with the assessment of 264 and 307 children, respectively). SF-36 score was significantly lower in the SMM group, while PTSD score was similar between groups. Women who had SMM became more frequently sterile, had more abnormal clinical conditions after the index pregnancy and a higher score for altered functioning, while proportions of FSFI score or any drug use were similar between groups. Furthermore, children from the SMM group were more likely to have weight (threefold) and height (1.5 fold) for age deficits and also impaired development (1.5-fold). CONCLUSION: SMM impairs some aspects of the lives of women and their children. The focus should be directed towards monitoring these women and their children after birth, ensuring accessibility to health services and reducing short-term and medium-term repercussions on physical, reproductive and psychosocial health.

Quality of Life after an Episode of Severe Maternal Morbidity: Evidence from a Cohort Study in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To assess quality of life (QOL) in women who experienced a severe maternal morbidity (SMM) event and associated factors, in comparison to those who did not. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study performed at the maternity of the University of Campinas in Brazil, including 801 women with or without SMM, within 6 months to 5 years after delivery. Women were interviewed by phone and data were electronically stored, using the Brazilian version of the SF36 to assess women's self-perception of quality of life. To analyze a possible relationship between SMM and perceived impairment in quality of life, χ2 and Fisher's Exact tests were used. Multiple analysis using Generalized Linear Models was applied to identify factors independently associated with the general health score. The main outcome measures were general and domain-specific SF36 scores on quality of life. RESULTS: Maternal morbidity conditions were associated with lower scores of patient perceptions of quality of life in the following domains: physical functioning, role-limiting physical, pain, and general health status. A lower level of school education, not having a partner, caesarean section, and history of previous clinical conditions were associated with a worse perception of general health and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Health professionals should know the association between life conditions, previous chronic health conditions, and SMM for women during prenatal care to beyond 42 weeks postpartum. Longitudinal and interdisciplinary actions should be put into practice to provide healthcare for these women, with special emphasis on the effective reduction in health inequities.

Reference ranges of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) score and diagnostic validity of its 12-item version in identifying altered functioning in healthy postpartum women.

OBJECTIVES: To compare scores on the 36-item WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 tool (WHODAS-36) for postpartum women across a continuum of morbidity and to validate the 12-item version (WHODAS-12). METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the Brazilian retrospective cohort study on long-term repercussions of severe maternal morbidity. We determined mean, median, and percentile values for WHODAS-36 total score and for each domain, and percentile values for WHODAS-12 total score in postpartum women divided into three groups: "no," "nonsevere," and "severe" morbidities. RESULTS: The WHODAS-36 mean total scores were 11.58, 18.31, and 19.19, respectively for no, nonsevere, and severe morbidity. There was a dose-dependent effect on scores for each domain of WHODAS-36 according to the presence and severity of morbidity. The diagnostic validity of WHODAS-12 was determined by comparing it with WHODAS-36 as a "gold standard." The best cut-off point for diagnosing dysfunctionality was the 95th percentile. CONCLUSION: The upward trend of WHODAS-36 total mean value scores of women with no morbidity compared with those with morbidity along a severity continuum may reflect the impact of morbidity on postpartum functioning.

Validation of the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) 12-item tool against the 36-item version for measuring functioning and disability associated with pregnancy and history of severe maternal morbidity.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) 12-item tool against the 36-item version for measuring functioning and disability associated with pregnancy and the occurrence of maternal morbidity. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of the Brazilian retrospective cohort study on long-term repercussions of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among women who delivered at a tertiary facility (COMMAG study). We compared WHODAS-12 and WHODAS-36 scores of women with and without SMM using measures of central tendency and variability, tests for instruments' agreement (Bland-Altman plot), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and Cronbach alpha coefficient for internal consistency. RESULTS: The COMMAG study enrolled 638 women up to 5 years postpartum. Although the median WHODAS-36 and -12 scores for all women were statistically different (13.04 and 11.76, respectively; P<0.001), there was a strong linear correlation between them. Furthermore, the mean difference and the differences in variance analyses demonstrated agreement of total scores between the two versions. CFA demonstrated how the WHODAS-12 questions are divided into six previously defined factors and Cronbach alpha showed good internal consistency. CONCLUSION: WHODAS-12 demonstrated agreement with WHODAS-36 for total score and was a good instrument for screening functioning and disability among postpartum women, with and without SMM.

Maternal near miss among women using the public health system in the Amazon and Northeast regions of Brazil / Morbilidad materna extremadamente grave entre las usuarias del sistema de salud pública en las regiones amazónica y noreste del Brasil

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of pregnancy complications identified as maternal near miss (MNM) and associated factors among women using the public health care system in the Amazon and Northeast regions of Brazil. METHODS: A secondary analysis of a population-based survey conducted in 2010 was performed focusing on women self-reporting maternal complications. The main outcome was MNM, pragmatically defined as intensive care unit admission, eclampsia, hysterectomy, or blood transfusion. In addition, the risk of MNM was estimated for certain sociodemographics and characteristics of care received. Poisson regression was performed, generating adjusted prevalence ratios (PRadj) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). RESULTS: A total of 13 044 women (77%) who had given birth during the prior year using the public health system were interviewed. At least one complication was reported by 37.5%, with hemorrhage (28.4%) and infection (8.3%) being the most frequent. The overall MNM ratio was 31.5 per 1 000 live births, higher for the Amazon region than for the Northeast. Factors with a higher risk for developing MNM were: indigenous ethnicity (PRadj 2.77; 95% CI: 1.50-5.14), more than one hour to reach the hospital (PRadj 1.55; 95%CI: 1.06-2.25), being refused by a full hospital and having to find another one (PRadj 1.49; 95%CI: 1.03-2.16), cesarean section (PRadj 2.56; 95%CI: 1.90-3.44), and public prenatal care (PRadj 1.95; 95%CI: 1.06-3.61). CONCLUSIONS: Users of public health system in the Amazon and Northeast regions of Brazil have high MNM rates. Some characteristics of the women and of the care they received represent inequalities associated with higher risk for MNM. Specific actions are required to improve maternal health programs in these expansive areas of the country.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar la prevalencia de las complicaciones del embarazo establecidas como morbilidad materna extremadamente grave (MMEG), y los factores asociados, entre las usuarias del sistema de atención de salud pública en las zonas amazónica y noreste del Brasil. MÉTODOS:Se realizó un análisis secundario de una encuesta poblacional llevada a cabo en el 2010 y centrado en las mujeres que autonotificaban complicaciones obstétricas. El principal resultado fue la MMEG, definida a efectos prácticos como ingreso en una unidad de cuidados intensivos, eclampsia, histerectomía o transfusión de sangre. Se calculó además el riesgo de MMEG para determinadas características sociodemográficas y de la atención recibida. Se llevó a cabo una regresión de Poisson y se generaron las razones de prevalencia ajustadas (RPa) con intervalos de confianza de 95% (IC 95%). RESULTADOS:Se entrevistó a un total de 13 044 mujeres (77%) que habían dado a luz durante el año previo en el sistema de salud pública. Un 37,5% notificó como mínimo una complicación; la hemorragia (28,4%) y la infección (8,3%) fueron las más frecuentes. El índice general de MMEG fue de 31,5 por 1 000 nacidos vivos, más elevado en la región amazónica que en la noreste. Los factores que comportaron un riesgo mayor de MMEG fueron la etnicidad autóctona (RPa 2,77; IC 95% = 1,50-5,14), precisar más de una hora para llegar al hospital (RPa 1,55; IC 95% = 1,06-2,25), no ser admitida en un hospital por estar completo y tener que encontrar otro (RPa 1,49; IC 95% = 1,03-2,16), la cesárea (RPa 2,56; IC 95% = 1,90-3,44), y la asistencia prenatal pública (RPa 1,95; IC 95% = 1,06-3,61). CONCLUSIONES: Las usuarias del sistema de salud pública en las regiones amazónica y noreste del Brasil muestran tasas elevadas de morbilidad materna extremadamente grave. Algunas características de las mujeres y de la atención recibida comportan desigualdades asociadas con un riesgo mayor de morbilidad materna extremadamente grave. Se requieren acciones específicas que mejoren los programas de salud materna en estas amplias zonas del país.