Demographic and pregnancy-related predictors of postnatal contraception uptake: A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the uptake of postnatal contraception (PNC) and experiences of PNC care across a geographical region of England. DESIGN: Cross-sectional online survey. SETTING: The North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS). POPULATION: Women who had completed a pregnancy in the previous 3 years. METHODS: The uptake of PNC by accessed method(s) and the availability of preferred method(s) is described, and adjusted odds ratios are reported for group differences in uptake by characteristics of interest. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uptake of medically prescribed/administered contraception and uptake of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) during the postnatal period, and access to preferred PNC methods. RESULTS: Although almost half of respondents (47.1%; n = 1178) reinitiated some form of sexual activity during the postnatal period, only 38.7% (n = 969) of respondents accessed a medically prescribed/administered contraceptive method postnatally, and only 15.5% (n = 389) of respondents accessed a LARC. It is a matter of concern that 18.8% (n = 451) of respondents indicated that they were unable to access their preferred PNC. In multivariate analysis, younger age, lower household income, higher multiparity, operative delivery, unplanned pregnancy and not breastfeeding were significant predictors of higher PNC uptake. CONCLUSIONS: The uptake of PNC in this cohort was low, with almost a fifth of women unable to access their preferred method. However, there was some evidence that women belonging to groups perceived to be at risk of rapid repeat pregnancy were more likely to access reliable PNC methods.

Contraception prescribing in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: National lockdowns in England due to COVID-19 resulted in rapid shifts in healthcare provision, including in primary care where most contraceptive prescriptions are issued. This study aimed to investigate contraception prescribing trends in primary care during the pandemic and the impact of socioeconomic deprivation. METHODS: Prescribing data were accessed from the English Prescribing Dataset for the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (1 March 2020-28 February 2021) and the year prior (1 March 2019-29 February 2020). Data were analysed by geographical region (London, Midlands and East of England, North of England, South of England) and contraceptive type (progestogen-only pill (POP), combined oral contraception (COC), emergency hormonal contraception (EHC) and contraceptive injections). Differences in prescribing rates were calculated using Poisson regression. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) scores for each Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in the North East and North Cumbria (NENC). RESULTS: Contraception prescribing rates decreased overall during the COVID-19 pandemic in England (Poisson regression coefficient (ß)=-0.035), with a statistically significant (p<0.01) decrease in all four regions. Prescriptions decreased for COC (ß=-0.978), contraceptive injections (ß=-0.161) and EHC (ß=-0.2005), while POP (ß=0.050) prescribing rates increased. There was a weak positive correlation between IMD and prescribing rates in NENC (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Contraception provision was impacted by COVID-19 with an overall decrease in prescribing rates. The deprivation results suggest that this may not be a significant contributing factor to this decrease. Further research is recommended to better understand these changes, and to ensure that services respond appropriately to population needs.

Genitourinary infection and gastroschisis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Gastroschisis is a congenital anomaly of the umbilical ring with increasing prevalence, especially amongst younger mothers. There is increasing evidence that exposure to genitourinary infections (GUTI) may play an important role in the etiology of gastroschisis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to identify, appraise, and summarize the literature on exposure to GUTI and gastroschisis. METHODS: Six electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library electronic databases, and Prospero) were searched using a comprehensive search strategy. Citations and cited articles for all included studies were searched. Peer-reviewed, quantitative studies reporting an association of urinary tract infections (UTI) and/or sexually transmitted infections (STI) with gastroschisis were included. Prospero registration CRD42022377420. RESULTS: A total of 2392 papers were identified via the searches of which 15 met our inclusion criteria and were included after title and abstract and full text screening. The study period for included studies ranged from 1995 to 2016, most were from the USA. Four studies considering exposure to STIs and five to UTIs were eligible to progress to meta-analysis. Meta-analysis identified a significantly increased risk of gastroschisis in association with periconceptional exposure to UTI [OR 1.54 (95% CI 1.29, 1.8)], STI [OR 1.4 (95% CI 1.01, 1.79)]. CONCLUSIONS: Periconceptional exposure to GUTI is associated with an increased risk of gastroschisis. The prevention and timely treatment of GUTI amongst women of childbearing age may help to reduce the occurrence of gastroschisis.

Effectiveness and implementation of lower-intensity weight management interventions delivered by the non-specialist workforce in postnatal women: a mixed-methods systematic review.

Lower-intensity interventions delivered in primary and community care contacts could provide more equitable and scalable weight management support for postnatal women. This mixed-methods systematic review aimed to explore the effectiveness, implementation, and experiences of lower-intensity weight management support delivered by the non-specialist workforce. We included quantitative and qualitative studies of any design that evaluated a lower-intensity weight management intervention delivered by non-specialist workforce in women up to 5 years post-natal, and where intervention effectiveness (weight-related and/or behavioural outcomes), implementation and/or acceptability were reported. PRISMA guidelines were followed, and the review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022371828). Nine electronic databases were searched to identify literature published between database inception to January 2023. This was supplemented with grey literature searches and citation chaining for all included studies and related reviews (completed June 2023). Screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed in duplicate. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute appraisal tools. Narrative methods were used to synthesise outcomes. Seven unique studies described in 11 reports were included from the Netherlands (n = 2), and the United Kingdom, Germany, Taiwan, Finland, and the United States (n = 1 each). All studies reported weight-related outcomes; four reported diet; four reported physical activity; four reported intervention implementation and process outcomes; and two reported intervention acceptability and experiences. The longest follow-up was 13-months postnatal. Interventions had mixed effects on weight-related outcomes: three studies reported greater weight reduction and/or lower postnatal weight retention in the intervention group, whereas four found no difference or mixed effects. Most studies reporting physical activity or diet outcomes showed no intervention effect, or mixed effects. Interventions were generally perceived as acceptable by women and care providers, although providers had concerns about translation into routine practice. The main limitations of the review were the limited volume of evidence available, and significant heterogeneity in interventions and outcome reporting which limited meaningful comparisons across studies. There is a need for more intervention studies, including process evaluations, with longer follow-up in the postnatal period to understand the role of primary and community care in supporting women's weight management. Public Health Wales was the primary funder of this review.

A Qualitative Evaluation of a Health Access Card for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in a City in Northern England.

Refugees and asylum seekers residing in the UK face multiple barriers to accessing healthcare. A Health Access Card information resource was launched in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019 by Newcastle City Council, intended to guide refugees and asylum seekers living in the city, and the professional organisations that support them, to appropriate healthcare services provided locally. The aim of this qualitative evaluation was to explore service user and professional experiences of healthcare access and utilisation in Newcastle and perspectives on the Health Access Card. Eleven semi-structured interviews took place between February 2020 and March 2021. Participants provided diverse and compelling accounts of healthcare experiences and described cultural, financial and institutional barriers to care. Opportunities to improve healthcare access for these population groups included offering more bespoke support, additional language support, delivering training and education to healthcare professionals and reviewing the local support landscape to maximise the impact of collaboration and cross-sector working. Opportunities to improve the Health Access Card were also described, and these included providing translated versions and exploring the possibility of developing an accompanying digital resource.

Systematic review of copper intrauterine contraception continuation in young nulliparous women based on intrauterine device type.

OBJECTIVES: No copper intrauterine device (IUD) type is known to better suit young nulliparous women who tend to experience higher rates of IUD discontinuation compared with their older parous counterparts. A systematic review to determine which IUDs have higher continuation rates in young nulliparous women was undertaken. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analyses of available evidence based on IUD type. DATA SOURCES: AMED, BNI, CINAHL, DARE, EMBASE, EMCARE, HMIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, TRIP, and the Cochrane Library electronic databases were searched from inception to 11 May 2022; as well as the Bandolier, Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Department of Health, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines, WHO and Google Scholar websites. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All studies on IUDs currently available in the UK or comparable (same design and size) to those available in the UK, involving nulliparous women of any age including those aged under 30. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Independently extracted data were assessed as low risk of bias using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Random effects meta-analyses of proportions were performed where data, including subgroups, were amenable to quantitative synthesis. Heterogeneity was reported using tau2 and I2 statistics, and sensitivity analyses were also performed. RESULTS: Nineteen studies involving 13 045 nulliparous women were included but the heterogeneity of participant ages, parity and IUD types made quantitative synthesis of outcome data in totality inappropriate. The highest continuation rate obtained was 91.02% (95% CI 88.01% to 93.64%) for the smaller TCu 380A at 12 months post insertion. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence for IUD use in young nulliparous women based on IUD type remains limited. Smaller sized IUD types appear better suited to this group of IUD users, however, more research is needed. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42019120969.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on expectant and new parents' experience of pregnancy, childbirth, breast feeding, parental responsiveness and sensitivity, and bonding and attunement in high-income countries: a systematic review of the evidence.

OBJECTIVES: To review the evidence on how pregnancy, birth experience, breast feeding, parental responsiveness and sensitivity, and bonding and attunement were impacted by COVID-19. METHODS: We searched eight literature databases and websites of relevant UK-based organisations. The review focused on evidence during pregnancy and the early years (0-5 years). Studies of any study design published in English from 1 March 2020 to 15 March 2021 and conducted in high-income countries were included. Screening and data extraction were undertaken in duplicate. Evidence was synthesised using a narrative approach. Study quality of included studies was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. RESULTS: The search yielded 9776 publications, of which 26 met our inclusion criteria. Significant knowledge gaps on how COVID-19 affected pregnancy and breast feeding limited healthcare providers' ability to provide consistent evidence-based information and care at the start of the pandemic. There was an enduring sense of loss about loved ones being restricted from taking part in key moments. Parents were concerned about the limitations of virtual healthcare provision. Some parents reported more opportunities for responsive breast feeding and improved parent-infant bonding due to reduced social and work pressures. Women from minoritised ethnic groups were less likely to continue breast feeding and attributed this to a lack of face-to-face support. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence suggests that new and expectant families have been both negatively and positively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting restrictions. The impacts on parents' opportunities to bond with their young children and to be attuned to their needs were felt unequally. It is important that emergency response policies consider the mother and the partner as a family unit when making changes to the delivery of maternal and child health and care services, so as to mitigate the impact on the family and existing health inequalities. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021236769.

Does prepregnancy weight change have an effect on subsequent pregnancy health outcomes? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

International guidelines recommend women with an overweight or obese body mass index (BMI) aim to reduce their body weight prior to conception to minimize the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Recent systematic reviews have demonstrated that interpregnancy weight gain increases women's risk of developing adverse pregnancy outcomes in their subsequent pregnancy. Interpregnancy weight change studies exclude nulliparous women. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following MOOSE guidelines and summarizes the evidence of the impact of preconception and interpregnancy weight change on perinatal outcomes for women regardless of parity. Sixty one studies met the inclusion criteria for this review and reported 34 different outcomes. We identified a significantly increased risk of gestational diabetes (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.66, 2.14, I2  = 87.8%), hypertensive disorders (OR 1.46 95% CI 1.12, 1.91, I2  = 94.9%), preeclampsia (OR 1.92 95% CI 1.55, 2.37, I2  = 93.6%), and large-for-gestational-age (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.25, 1.49, I2  = 92.2%) with preconception and interpregnancy weight gain. Interpregnancy weight loss only was significantly associated with increased risk for small-for-gestational-age (OR 1.29 95% CI 1.11, 1.50, I2  = 89.9%) and preterm birth (OR 1.06 95% CI 1.00, 1.13, I2  = 22.4%). Our findings illustrate the need for effective preconception and interpregnancy weight management support to improve pregnancy outcomes in subsequent pregnancies.

Academic achievement and needs of school-aged children born with selected congenital anomalies: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Children with congenital anomalies have poorer intellectual and cognitive development compared to their peers, but evidence for academic achievement using objective measures is lacking. We aimed to summarize and synthesize evidence on academic outcomes and special education needs (SEN) of school-aged children born with selected major structural congenital anomalies. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest Natural Science and Education Collections), reference lists and citations for 1990-2020 were systematically searched. We included original-research articles on academic achievement in children with non-syndromic congenital anomalies that involved school test results, standardized tests and/or SEN data. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed to estimate pooled mean test scores in mathematics and/or reading where possible and pooled odds ratios (ORs) for SEN in children with severe congenital heart defects (CHDs) and children with orofacial clefts (OFCs). Thirty-nine eligible studies (n = 21,066 children) were synthesized narratively. Sixteen studies were included in meta-analyses. Children with non-syndromic congenital anomalies were at a higher risk of academic underachievement than controls across school levels. Children with severe CHD (pooled OR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.90, 2.82), and children with OFC (OR = 1.38 (95% CI: 1.20, 1.57), OR = 3.07 (95% CI: 2.65, 3.56), and OR = 3.96 (95% CI: 3.31, 4.72) for children with cleft lip, cleft palate and cleft lip/palate, respectively) had significantly higher ORs for SEN than controls. Children with non-syndromic congenital anomalies underperform academically and have higher SEN rates compared to their peers. Early monitoring and development of differential SEN are important to promote academic progress in these children.

Socioeconomic inequalities and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the UK and Republic of Ireland: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: There has been an unprecedented rise in infant mortality associated with deprivation in recent years in the United Kingdom (UK) and Republic of Ireland. A healthy pregnancy can have significant impacts on the life chances of children. The objective of this review was to understand the association between individual-level and household-level measures of socioeconomic status and adverse pregnancy outcomes. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Nine databases were searched (Medline, Embase, Scopus, ASSIA, CINAHL, PsycINFO, BNI, MIDRIS and Google Scholar) for articles published between 1999 and August 2019. Grey literature searches were also assessed. STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies reporting associations between individual-level or household socioeconomic factors on pregnancy outcomes in the UK or Ireland. RESULTS: Among the 82 353 search results, 53 821 titles were identified and 35 unique studies met the eligibility criteria. Outcomes reported were neonatal, perinatal and maternal mortality, preterm birth, birth weight and mode of delivery. Pooled effect sizes were calculated using random-effects meta-analysis. There were significantly increased odds of women from lower levels of occupation/social classes compared with the highest level having stillbirth (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.59, I298.62%), neonatal mortality (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.57, I297.09%), perinatal mortality (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.57, I298.69%), preterm birth (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.50, I270.97%) and low birth weight (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.61, I299.85%). Limitations relate to available data, unmeasured confounders and the small number of studies for some outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This review identified consistent evidence that lower occupational status, especially manual occupations and unemployment, were significantly associated with increased risk of multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes. Strategies to improve pregnancy outcomes should incorporate approaches that address wider determinants of health to provide women and families with the best chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby and to decrease pregnancy-related health inequalities in the general population. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42019140893.