Early Initiation of Breastfeeding Among Adolescent Mothers: A Quality Improvement Study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding (EIBF) was found to be low among adolescent postnatal mothers. EIBF is associated with improved parenting skills and better neurodevelopment in babies. We aimed to improve the prevalence of EIBF among teenage mothers to at least 90% through a quality improvement (QI) initiative. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a QI intervention conducted over a period of 15 months involving mothers under the age of 20 years at the time of present delivery. Six Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles consisting of multiple interventions, each lasting for one month, were conducted to improve the prevalence of EIBF. Rate of improvement in EIBF was noted and plotted against time. Post-intervention follow-ups of observations were done for six months. RESULTS: The prevalence of EIBF among adolescent mothers was 28.5% during the pre-intervention baseline phase. QI team meeting was held and the barriers to EIBF among the adolescent mothers were discussed and depicted in the form of a fish-bone analysis model. The prevalence of EIBF increased during each intervention cycle to 50%, 60%, 62.5%, 72.7%, 88%, and 100%. At the end of six months follow-up phase, the prevalence of EIBF sustained at around 100%. CONCLUSION: This QI initiative has proven to be effective in improving the prevalence of EIBF with simple but effective measures. Adolescent women comprise of a vulnerable sub-population of high-risk mothers. Proper counseling and respectful maternity care will help them face the challenges of motherhood boldly.

A Prospective Quality Improvement Initiative to Address the Barriers to Postpartum Tubal Ligation Among Multiparous Women.

BACKGROUND: Unmet need for postpartum tubal ligation (PPTL) is still high in low-middle income countries. The commonly observed barriers are issues with the consent forms, non-availability of operation theater, lack of knowledge, patient desire for more children, partner opposition and social non-acceptance. Considering the unmet need and the barriers, this quality improvement (QI) initiative was conducted to increase the frequency of PPTL among multiparous women by 50% from baseline. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This QI was conducted at a tertiary care teaching hospital over a period of 18 months. The study consisted of three phases. Baseline observations during the pre-intervention phase over six months, intervention phase consisting of three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles over 12 months and post-intervention surveillance phase over a period of three months. In the first PDSA cycle, hospital and provider barriers were focused on. The patient barrier was addressed in the second cycle. The barrier at the level of partner and family members was addressed in the third cycle. RESULTS: The baseline prevalence of PPTL in the studied population over a period of six months was 30.2%. After the first PDSA cycle, the prevalence of PPTL performed increased from 30.2% to 49.5%. The prevalence increased to 68.8% after the second cycle. A further increase to 74.4% was observed after the third intervention. There was a satisfactory continuation rate of 72% at the end of the post-intervention follow-up phase conducted over four months. CONCLUSION: This QI initiative proved effective and sustainable over time. There was continuous motivation among the service providers to educate and counsel women for PPTL. Ultimately, we were able to address the low prevalence of PPTL through minor modifications in our hospital strategies.

Improving the Acceptance Rate of Centchroman As a Postpartum Contraceptive Through a Quality Improvement Initiative.

Background The unmet need for contraception is two-pronged: a spacing method and a permanent method. Centchroman, a non-hormonal, non-steroidal oral contraceptive, is suitable for both of these purposes. The Government of India provides it free of cost under the name "Chhaya", but its current acceptance rates are lower than expected. We aimed to increase the acceptance rates of centchroman as a postpartum contraceptive through a quality improvement (QI) approach conducted over eight months at a tertiary care hospital in North India. Materials and Methods This QI study was done in three phases: a pre-intervention phase of over eight weeks to assess the baseline acceptance and prevalence rates of centchroman use; an intervention phase of over 12 weeks involving three Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles to increase the awareness and acceptance of centchroman among the target population using visual aids and counselling by the nursing staff and resident doctors, respectively; and a post-intervention phase of over 12 weeks to assess the acceptance and continuation rates of Chhaya. Results The acceptance rates for centchroman increased from a baseline of 2.9% to 15.3%, 56.3%, and 78.2% after the first, second, and third PDSA cycles, respectively. On follow-up, continuation rates were 96.7%, 89.5%, and 78.6% at one, three, and six months, respectively. The majority of women reported only minor side effects, with the primary reason for discontinuation being a preference for intrauterine devices or medroxyprogesterone acetate injections over Chhaya.  Conclusion The postpartum period provides an important window of opportunity to counsel women for contraception. Despite an enviable safety profile and dosing schedule, centchroman remains largely under-utilized. Increasing awareness among women as well as health care workers may improve the acceptance of centchroman and help reduce the burden of untimely and unwanted conceptions.

Assessing the Barriers to Postpartum Tubal Ligation Among Multiparous Women.

BACKGROUND: Unmet demands for postpartum tubal ligation are estimated to be greater than the actual number of tubal ligations done, especially in low-resource settings. Through this study, we therefore assessed the barriers to postpartum tubal ligation in the developing world. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It is a prospective cohort study including 3671 multiparous women from northern India. Recruited patients were given survey questionnaires during their antenatal and postpartum period which evaluated the patient-related, healthcare facility-related and social factors which were the determining factors for the unfulfillment of their desire for permanent sterilization. RESULTS: Out of the recruited population, 1576 women wished to undergo tubal ligation. Following attrition, a total of 1024 were followed up prospectively. Of them, sterilization was successfully done only in 309 (30.18%) participants. A large proportion of mothers had their demand unmet (715 mothers; 69.82%). Out of them, 505 (70.63%) women stated that tubal ligation was not done because they did not deliver by Caesarean section. Insufficient counselling regarding tubal ligation was quoted by 325 (45.45%) mothers. Majority of the participants denied tubal ligation as they were not given enough information about the procedure (589 participants; 82.38%). While 568 (79.44%) mothers had changed their mind after delivery, 257 (35.94%) thought that their health was not fit to undergo the procedure and 213 (29.79%) mothers wanted more children in the future. We found that there was strong opposition from their male partners (56.78%). CONCLUSION: Postpartum tubal ligation is of paramount importance in women with completed families, especially in developing countries. This prospective study addressed the barriers to tubal ligation, which would help combat future unintended pregnancies.

Pyometrocolpos in an 18-Month-Old Child: A Rare Cause of Acute Abdomen.

Acute abdomen secondary to pyometrocolpos as a result of microperforate hymen in an 18-month-old child is extremely rare to witness. Such a child was admitted with a history of poor appetite, lethargy, high-grade febrile episodes, frequent urination, and multiple episodes of vomiting in seven days. There was no relief of symptoms on oral antibiotics. On careful examination, the abdomen was distended. A suprapubic bulge with mild tenderness was palpable. Genital examination revealed the absence of vaginal introitus with a bulging membrane. Ultrasound showed the presence of echogenic contents within the dilated uterine and vaginal cavities. An emergency hymenotomy drained 150 cc of malodorous purulent material. Symptoms were relieved post-surgery. This, to our knowledge, being the youngest case of microperforate hymen presenting with acute abdomen makes it worth reporting.

De novo copy number variants and parental age: Is there an association?

PURPOSE: To investigate whether increased parental age is associated with an increased risk for de novo copy number variant (CNV) formation in offspring. METHODS: CNV calls from 2323 individuals referred to Signature Genomic Laboratories for clinical microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization were investigated; 17% of the samples were prenatal and 83% were postnatal. The de novo CNV data were further split into de novo CNVs bound by low copy repeats (LCRs) and those not bound by LCRs. RESULTS: No association was found between CNV occurrence and paternal age in both the prenatal (p = 0.6795) and postnatal (p = 0.1741) cohorts. Maternal age was significantly higher with de novo CNV occurrence in our postnatal cohort (p = 0.0126), an effect which may be driven by formation of de novo CNVs that are bound by LCRs (p = 0.0026). Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was observed between maternal age and de novo CNVs (Point-Biserial R2 = 0.0503, p = 0.0152). CONCLUSIONS: This large-scale study did not find any evidence for the influence of increased paternal age on de novo CNV formation, while increased maternal age appeared to increase risk for de novo, non-complex CNV occurrence in offspring with intellectual disability/developmental delay. Further studies and continued technological advances will help yield more information on the risk factors for de novo CNVs.

Extrinsic factors influencing fetal deformations and intrauterine growth restriction.

The causes of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are multifactorial with both intrinsic and extrinsic influences. While many studies focus on the intrinsic pathological causes, the possible long-term consequences resulting from extrinsic intrauterine physiological constraints merit additional consideration and further investigation. Infants with IUGR can exhibit early symmetric or late asymmetric growth abnormality patterns depending on the fetal stage of development, of which the latter is most common occurring in 70-80% of growth-restricted infants. Deformation is the consequence of extrinsic biomechanical factors interfering with normal growth, functioning, or positioning of the fetus in utero, typically arising during late gestation. Biomechanical forces play a critical role in the normal morphogenesis of most tissues. The magnitude and direction of force impact the form of the developing fetus, with a specific tissue response depending on its pliability and stage of development. Major uterine constraining factors include primigravida, small maternal size, uterine malformation, uterine fibromata, early pelvic engagement of the fetal head, aberrant fetal position, oligohydramnios, and multifetal gestation. Corrective mechanical forces similar to those that gave rise to the deformation to reshape the deformed structures are often used and should take advantage of the rapid postnatal growth to correct form.

Clubfeet and associated abnormalities on fetal magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: Clubfoot, or talipes equinovarus (TEV), is commonly diagnosed on prenatal ultrasound. This study sought to visualize TEV and associated abnormalities on fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with ultrasound. METHODS: This retrospective study included the MRI scans of 44 fetuses with TEV using postnatal assessment and autopsy as standard of reference. Isolated TEV was differentiated from complex TEV with associated abnormalities. MRI findings and previous ultrasound diagnoses were compared. RESULTS: Isolated TEV was found in 19/44 (43.2%) fetuses and complex TEV in 25/44 (56.8%). Associated abnormalities consisted of the following: central nervous system/spinal abnormalities in 13/25 (52.0%) fetuses; musculoskeletal abnormalities in 7/25 (28.0%); thoracic abnormalities in 3/25 (12.0%); a tumor in one case; and hydrops fetalis in one. Of the 44 cases, 35 (79.5%) pregnancies were delivered, and nine (20.5%) pregnancies, which were terminated, all had complex TEV. Of the 42 available ultrasound reports, additional MRI findings were made in 8/42 (19.0%) cases. MRI did not add findings in isolated TEV on ultrasound. In 4/44 (9.1%) cases, autopsy revealed additional findings compared with prenatal imaging. CONCLUSION: Fetal MRI enables differentiation between isolated and complex TEV. Isolated TEV on ultrasound may not be an MRI indication, whereas MRI may be useful in cases of complex TEV.

Skeletal development on fetal magnetic resonance imaging.

Prenatal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is being increasingly used, in addition to standard ultrasound, for the diagnosis of congenital diseases beyond the central nervous system. Previous studies have demonstrated that MRI may be useful for the in utero visualization of spinal dysraphism and for differentiating between isolated and complex skeletal disorders with associated abnormalities. More recently, attention has focused on the visualization of the human fetal skeleton for the delineation of normal and pathological development of skeletal structures. On 1.5 T, in particular, echoplanar imaging enables the delineation of various epimetaphyseal structures and morphometric measurements of the fetal long bones from 18 gestational weeks until term. This information gathered from prenatal MRI might be helpful in the diagnosis of focal bone abnormalities and generalized skeletal disorders, such as bone dysplasias. Further clinical research, along with the refinement of the newest techniques, will enable expansion of the preliminary findings and help in determining the impact of fetal magnetic resonance bone imaging in the routine clinical setting. This review summarizes the current data in the literature and the authors' clinical experience with the magnetic resonance visualization of the developing fetal skeleton and also comments on the potential future applications of this technique.