An Evidence Map for Social and Structural Determinants for Maternal Morbidity and Mortality: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the social-structural determinants of health risk factors associated with maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States during the prenatal and postpartum periods. DATA SOURCES: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Social Sciences Citation Index through November 2022 for eligible studies that examined exposures related to social and structural determinants of health and at least one health or health care-related outcome for pregnant and birthing people. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: After screening 8,378 unique references, 118 studies met inclusion criteria. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: We grouped studies by social and structural determinants of health domains and maternal outcomes. We used alluvial graphs to summarize results and provide additional descriptions of direction of association between potential risk exposures and outcomes. Studies broadly covered risk factors including identity and discrimination, socioeconomic, violence, trauma, psychological stress, structural or institutional, rural or urban, environment, comorbidities, hospital, and health care use. However, these risk factors represent only a subset of potential social and structural determinants of interest. We found an unexpectedly large volume of research on violence and trauma relative to other potential exposures of interest. Outcome domains included maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity, hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, cardiac and metabolic disorders, weathering depression, other mental health or substance use disorders, and cost per health care use outcomes. Patterns between risk factors and outcomes were highly mixed. Depression and other mental health outcomes represented a large proportion of medical outcomes. Risk of bias was high, and rarely did studies report the excess risk attributable to a specific exposure. CONCLUSION: Limited depth and quality of available research within each risk factor hindered our ability to understand underlying pathways, including risk factor interdependence. Although recently published literature showed a definite trend toward improved rigor, future research should emphasize techniques that improve the ability to estimate causal effects. In the longer term, the field could advance through data sets designed to fully ascertain data required to robustly examine racism and other social and structural determinants of health, their intersections, and feedback loops with other biological and medical risk factors. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, CRD42022300617.

The Provision of Abortion Care via Telehealth in the United States: A Rapid Review.

INTRODUCTION: The recent Supreme Court decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health that has overruled Roe v. Wade has resulted in severe limitations of abortion access throughout the United States. Telehealth has been put forth as one solution for improving access for reproductive health care, including abortion services. Telehealth has demonstrated safety and efficacy in several health care disciplines; however, its use for abortion care and services has not been explored and synthesized. METHODS: As part of a larger review on telehealth and general reproductive health, our team identified a moderate amount of literature on telehealth and abortion care. We conducted a rapid review searching for eligible studies in MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL. Information was extracted from each included study to explore 4 key areas of inquiry: (1) clinical effectiveness, (2) patient and provider experiences, (3) barriers and facilitators, and (4) the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies on the use of telehealth for providing abortion services published between 2011 and 2022 were included. Telehealth for medical abortion increased during the COVID-19 pandemic and was found to be safe and clinically effective, with high patient satisfaction. Overall, telehealth improved access and removed barriers for patients including lack of transportation. Legal restrictions in certain states were cited as the primary barriers. Studies contained limited information on the perspectives and experiences of health care providers and diverse patient populations. DISCUSSION: Abortion care via telehealth is safe and effective with high satisfaction and may also remove barriers to care including transportation and fear. Removing restrictions on telehealth for the provision of abortion services may further improve access to care and promote greater health equity.

Survey of Postpartum People in the United States During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic to Explore Their Perspective on Support After Discharge.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to capture the experiences of postpartum people during the first wave of COVID-19, specifically their access to contraception and lactation support. METHODS: This cross-sectional study surveyed individuals in the United States who used the Ovia Pregnancy and Parenting app. The survey was administered via an email Web link sent to postpartum people who gave birth between March 1, 2020, and June 11, 2020. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A total of 388 postpartum people completed the survey. Most participants had just given birth to their first baby (68.5%; n = 261) at term gestation (37-41 weeks) (92.9%; n = 355). From the qualitative data, using content analysis, we derived 6 themes and 2 subthemes: quarantine, changes in postpartum care, loneliness and isolation, stress, resource changes, and positive impact. The theme loneliness and isolation had 2 subthemes: depression/sadness/hopelessness and anxiety. DISCUSSION: The experience of being postpartum during the COVID-19 pandemic brought unforeseen challenges. Providing care and support to postpartum people during a pandemic, specifically during a time of quarantine, should be reimagined. Increased use of virtual postpartum care services and expanded mental health support could serve to fill the gaps identified by participants.

Prenatal care in US birth centers: Midwives' perceptions of contributors to birthing People's confidence in physiologic birth.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe US freestanding birth center models of prenatal care and to examine how the components of this care contribute to birthing people's confidence in their ability to have a physiologic birth. DESIGN: This was a qualitative descriptive study utilizing semi-structured interviews with birth center midwives. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, constant comparative method and consensus coding to ensure rigor. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Midwives from six urban and rural freestanding birth centers in a Midwestern US state were interviewed. Twelve birth center midwives participated. FINDINGS: Six themes emerged: the birth center physical space and organization of care, dimensions of midwifery care within the birth center, continuity of care and seamless service, the empowered birthing person, physiologic birth as normative, and the hospital paradigm and US cultures of birth. KEY CONCLUSIONS: We identified significant components of birth center models of prenatal care that midwives believe enhance birthing people's confidence for physiologic childbirth. These components may be considered for application to other settings and may improve perinatal care and outcomes.

A Qualitative Study of US Women's Perspectives on Confidence for Physiologic Birth in the Birth Center Model of Prenatal Care.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the components of the US birth center model of prenatal care and how the birth center prenatal care model contributes to birthing people's confidence for physiologic childbirth. METHODS: This was a qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews with individuals who gave birth in freestanding birth centers. Birthing people were recruited from freestanding birth centers in a Midwestern US state and were between the ages of 18 and 42, were English-speaking, and had experienced a birth center birth within the previous 6 months. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Glaser's constant comparative method. RESULTS: Twelve women who gave birth in birth centers, representing urban and rural settings, participated. Four core categories were identified encompassing the components of birth center prenatal care and how the birth center model contributes to women's confidence for physiologic birth: birth center culture and processes, midwifery model of care within the birth center, internal influences, and outside influences. DISCUSSION: Women who gave birth in birth centers believed that the birth center culture and environment, the midwifery model of care in the birth center, internal influences including the belief that birth is a normal physiologic process, and outside influences including family support and positive birth stories contributed to their confidence for physiologic birth.

The Impact of Culturally-Centered Care on Peripartum Experiences of Autonomy and Respect in Community Birth Centers: A Comparative Study.

OBJECTIVE: National studies report that birth center care is associated with reduced racial and ethnic disparities and reduced experiences of mistreatment. In the US, there are very few BIPOC-owned birth centers. This study examines the impact of culturally-centered care delivered at Roots, a Black-owned birth center, on the experience of client autonomy and respect. METHODS: To investigate if there was an association between experiences of autonomy and respect for Roots versus the national Giving Voice to Mothers (GVtM) participants, we applied Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for the overall sample and stratified by race. RESULTS: Among BIPOC clients in the national GVtM sample and the Roots sample, MADM and MORi scores were statistically higher for clients receiving culturally-centered care at Roots (MADM p < 0.001, MORi p = 0.011). No statistical significance was found in scores between BIPOC and white clients at Roots Birth Center, however there was a tighter range among BIPOC individuals receiving care at Roots showing less variance in their experience of care. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our study confirms previous findings suggesting that giving birth at a community birth center is protective against experiences of discrimination when compared to care in the dominant, hospital-based system. Culturally-centered care might enhance the experience of perinatal care even further, by decreasing variance in BIPOC experience of autonomy and respect. Policies on maternal health care reimbursement should add focus on making community birth sustainable, especially for BIPOC provider-owners offering culturally-centered care.

Giving birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, perspectives from a sample of the United States birthing persons during the first wave: March-June 2020.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic forced hospitals in the United States to adjust policy and procedure in order to provide safe care and prevent the spread of disease. At the beginning of the pandemic, media and case reports described pressure for medical interventions, visitor restrictions, separation from newborns, and an increase in patient demand for community birth (home and birth center). The purpose of this study was to describe birth experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic centering the birthing person's perspective. METHODS: A survey was e-mailed to users of the Ovia Pregnancy app reaching a national convenience sample who gave birth between March 1, 2020, and June 11, 2020. Survey topics included birth location, the Mothers on Respect index, and open-ended questions capturing patient perspectives on the pandemic's effect on their birth experiences. Differences were assessed based on state-level COVID rate and by race. Content analysis was performed to analyze open-ended responses. RESULTS: Respondents from highly impacted COVID-19 states more frequently changed or considered changing their birth location. Racial differences were also found with Black respondents reporting significantly more preterm births and lower respect scores when compared to White respondents. Six themes emerged from the content analysis: Institutional Policies, Changes in Care, Hospital Staff Interactions, Sub-par Care, Issues of Support, and Mental Health. DISCUSSION: The health care community must continue to adapt policies and procedures to best support birthing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The community must also continue to address the reality that Black patients receive less respectful care compared with White patients.

Nursing Support During Latent Phase Labor: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to synthesize the literature on nursing support during the latent phase of the first stage of labor. In 2014, the definition of the beginning of active labor changed from 4 centimeters (cm) to 6 cm cervical dilation. More women may have an induction of labor based on results of recent research showing no causal increase in risk of cesarean birth with elective induction of labor for low-risk nulliparous women. Therefore, in-hospital latent phase labor may be longer, increasing the need for nursing support. DESIGN: Scoping review of the literature from 2009 to present. METHODS: We conducted the review using key words in PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus. Search terms included different combinations of "latent or early labor," "birth," "support," "nursing support," "obstetrics," and "onset of labor." Peer-reviewed research and quality improvement articles from 2009 to present were included if they had specific implications for nursing care during the latent phase of labor. Articles were excluded if they were not specific to nursing, focused exclusively on tool development, or were from the perspective of pregnant women or providers only. RESULTS: Ten articles were included. Results were synthesized into six categories; support of physiologic labor and birth, the nurse's own personal view of labor, birth environment, techniques and tools, decision-making, and importance of latent labor discussion during the prenatal period. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Support for physiologic labor and birth is an important consideration for use of nonpharmacological methods during latent labor. The nurse's own personal view on labor support can influence the support that laboring women receive. Nurses may need additional education on labor support methods.

Development and Testing of the Preparation for Labor and Birth Instrument.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and assess the reliability and validity of a new instrument used during the third trimester of pregnancy to measure women's confidence in their ability to achieve physiologic birth, the Preparation for Labor and Birth (P-LAB) instrument. DESIGN: Two-phase instrument development study that consisted of item generation and a prospective field test. SETTING: Field testing occurred in five midwestern U.S. prenatal clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Participants in the field test were 203 nulliparous and parous pregnant women who intended to give birth vaginally. METHODS: Psychometric testing consisted of test-retest reliability testing and assessments of content validity, face validity, and construct validity. We measured construct validity using exploratory factor analysis and correlation with the Sense of Coherence Scale. RESULTS: The 22-item P-LAB showed good content validity, good internal consistency, and stability over time. All items had content validity index scores greater than or equal to 0.8, and the total instrument content validity index was 0.95. We identified four factors related to women's confidence in their ability to achieve physiologic birth: Planned Use of Pain Medication, Relationship With Care Provider and Supportive Birth Environment, Beliefs About Labor, and Labor Support (social and professional). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the four extracted factors were .93, .76, .73 and .74, respectively. Intraclass correlation [95% confidence interval] for the total questionnaire was .92 [.88, .94]. We found no linear association between total P-LAB scores and sense of coherence. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate acceptable initial psychometric properties for the P-LAB instrument. Additional testing is required to evaluate the instrument's construct, convergent, and divergent validity.

Maternal confidence for physiologic birth: Associated prenatal characteristics and outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: Pregnancy, labor, and birth are normal, physiologic processes. Women often seek information during pregnancy to enhance their confidence for physiologic birth. Little is known about confidence for physiologic birth and associated prenatal characteristics and birth outcomes such as provider type, source of labor and birth information, mode of birth, and use of pain medication in labor. The purpose of this study was to examine prenatal confidence for physiologic birth and associated prenatal characteristics and birth outcomes. DESIGN: This study was completed as part of a multi-phased instrument development study, the Preparation for Labor and Birth (P-LAB) instrument. P-LAB confidence scores were examined for their relationship with variables including labor type, provider type, source of labor support, pain medication use, and birth mode. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Women (N = 192) from five prenatal clinics in the Midwestern United States who had completed the P-LAB instrument participated in postpartum telephone interviews. FINDINGS: Women with previous birth experience had higher confidence than nulliparous women. Prenatal care providers were reported as main source of labor and birth information. Confidence for birth was associated with intention to not use pain medication in labor. Women's overall intention to use or not use pain medication was consistent with use. Prenatal confidence was not associated with mode of birth. IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH: Special emphasis should be paid to nulliparous women when developing interventions to enhance confidence for physiologic birth. Women rely on their care providers for information regarding labor and birth, therefore one area to strengthen confidence for physiologic birth is within the provider-patient relationship.

Reducing Primary Cesareans: An Innovative Multipronged Approach to Supporting Physiologic Labor and Vaginal Birth.

Primary cesarean birth increases a woman's risk for hemorrhage, infection, pain, and cesarean births with subsequent pregnancies. A woman may experience difficulties with breastfeeding, bonding, and incorporating the newborn into the family structure. One urban, academic hospital in the Midwest participated in the American College of Nurse-Midwives Healthy Birth Initiative: Reducing Primary Cesarean Births Project. The project purpose was to reduce the rate of cesarean births in nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex pregnancies. Strategies employed included use of intermittent auscultation, upright labor positioning, early labor lounge, one-to-one labor support, and team huddles. The baseline nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean rate in 2015 was 29.3%. In 2016, after 1 year of implementation of the project, the hospital decreased nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex cesarean rate to 26.1%-a reduction of 10%. In 2017, the rate was decreased to 25.3%-a reduction by 3.7%.

Women's Perceptions of Prenatal Influences on Maternal Confidence for Physiologic Birth.

INTRODUCTION: A physiologic approach to labor and birth is preferred for most women. The United States spends more on birth than any other country. Cesarean rates are currently 32%, and approximately 23% of women with a singleton pregnancy experience induction or augmentation of labor. Most physiologic birth research has focused on care during labor and birth. The purpose of this study was to describe women's perceptions of the care processes, support, and information received during pregnancy that helped them feel confident for physiologic labor and birth. METHODS: Using a qualitative descriptive design with 2 phases, women were recruited from an urban area and a smaller city in Minnesota. Phase 1 included focus groups with women who had given birth within the previous 6 months. They participated in a discussion about experiences that helped them feel confident for labor and birth. In Phase 2, women who had a physiologic birth, which was defined as term pregnancy, spontaneous labor, no epidural analgesia, and vaginal birth, participated in individual interviews. Focus group and individual interview recordings were transcribed and analyzed using Glaser's constant comparative approach. RESULTS: Thirty-eight women participated in 9 focus groups. Seventeen women had a physiologic birth; 14 participated in individual interviews. Themes derived from the analysis included confidence in the face of uncertainty, belief in the normalcy of birth and the body's ability to birth, research on my own, supportive care partnership, on the same page, and sources of information and support. DISCUSSION: Women who experienced physiologic birth believed that this was possible and expected. They sought information, including searching on their own, from maternity care providers and a broader support system. Relationships with their maternity care providers were important. Prenatal care focused on women's strengths and abilities, while also monitoring pregnancy health and safety, may help reduce unnecessary interventions, improve outcomes, and reduce costs.

Maternal Confidence for Physiologic Childbirth: A Concept Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Confidence is a term often used in research literature and consumer media in relation to birth, but maternal confidence has not been clearly defined, especially as it relates to physiologic labor and birth. The aim of this concept analysis was to define maternal confidence in the context of physiologic labor and childbirth. METHODS: Rodgers' evolutionary method was used to identify attributes, antecedents, and consequences of maternal confidence for physiologic birth. Databases searched included Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts from the years 1995 to 2015. A total of 505 articles were retrieved, using the search terms pregnancy, obstetric care, prenatal care, and self-efficacy and the keyword confidence. Articles were identified for in-depth review and inclusion based on whether the term confidence was used or assessed in relationship to labor and/or birth. In addition, a hand search of the reference lists of the selected articles was performed. Twenty-four articles were reviewed in this concept analysis. RESULTS: We define maternal confidence for physiologic birth as a woman's belief that physiologic birth can be achieved, based on her view of birth as a normal process and her belief in her body's innate ability to birth, which is supported by social support, knowledge, and information founded on a trusted relationship with a maternity care provider in an environment where the woman feels safe. DISCUSSION: This concept analysis advances the concept of maternal confidence for physiologic birth and provides new insight into how women's confidence for physiologic birth might be enhanced during the prenatal period. Further investigation of confidence for physiologic birth across different cultures is needed to identify cultural differences in constructions of the concept.

Enhancing women's confidence for physiologic birth: Maternity care providers' perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this research study was to explore MCP's beliefs and attitudes about physiologic birth and to identify components of antenatal care that providers believe may impact a woman's confidence for physiologic labor and birth. METHODS: This qualitative descriptive study included maternity care providers (N=31) in the Midwestern United States. Providers participated in semi-structured interviews to describe their beliefs about physiologic birth, their role in providing information to women and specific care practices to promote women's confidence for physiologic birth. FINDINGS: Six themes emerged including: positive beliefs about physiologic birth, trusted relationship with provider, woman centered care, education and knowledge, barriers to confidence, and antenatal practices to enhance confidence. Variations in beliefs occurred amongst providers with different training (i.e., physicians and midwives). CONCLUSION: Maternity care providers, including midwives, family physicians and obstetrician-gynecologists, overwhelmingly support a physiologic approach to labor and birth. These providers had a number of suggestions about how antenatal care could be enhanced in an effort to increase women's confidence during the antenatal period. Supporting physiologic birth is imperative for providers who wish to enhance outcomes for mothers and babies.