Psychological well-being and worries among pregnant women in the first trimester during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark compared with a historical group: A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: A pandemic may negatively influence psychological well-being in the individual. We aimed to assess the potential influence of the first national lockdown in Denmark (March to June 2020) due to the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being and the content and degree of worries among pregnant women in early pregnancy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this hospital-based cross-sectional study based on self-reported data we compared psychological well-being and worries among women who were pregnant during the first phase of the pandemic (COVID-19 group) (n = 685), with women who were pregnant the year before (Historical group) (n = 787). Psychological well-being was measured by the five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5), using a score ≤50 as indicator of reduced psychological well-being. Differences in WHO-5 mean scores and in the prevalence of women with score ≤50 were assessed using general linear and log-binomial regression analyses. The Cambridge Worry Scale was used to measure the content and degree of major worries. To detect differences between groups, Pearson's Chi-square test was used. RESULTS: We found no differences in mean WHO-5 score between groups (mean difference) 0.1 (95% CI -1.5 to 1.6) or in the prevalence of women with WHO-5 score ≤50 (prevalence ratio 1.04, 95% CI 0.83-1.29) in adjusted analyses. A larger proportion of women in the COVID-19 group reported major worries about Relationship with husband/partner compared with the Historical group (3% [n = 19] vs 1% [n = 6], p = 0.04), and 9.2% in the COVID-19 group worried about the possible negative influence of the COVID-19 restrictions. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that national restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not influence the psychological well-being or the content and degree of major worries among pregnant women. However, a larger proportion of women in the COVID-19 group reported major worries concerning Relationship with husband/partner compared with the Historical group and 9.2% in the COVID-19 group worried about the possible negative influence of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Effects of a Midwife-Coordinated Maternity Care Intervention (ChroPreg) vs. Standard Care in Pregnant Women with Chronic Medical Conditions: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The proportion of childbearing women with pre-existing chronic medical conditions (CMC) is rising. In a randomized controlled trial, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a midwife-coordinated maternity care intervention (ChroPreg) in pregnant women with CMC. The intervention consisted of three main components: (1) Midwife-coordinated and individualized care, (2) Additional ante-and postpartum consultations, and (3) Specialized known midwives. The primary outcome was the total length of hospital stay (LOS). Secondary outcomes were patient-reported outcomes measuring psychological well-being and satisfaction with maternity care, health utilization, and maternal and infant outcomes. A total of 362 women were randomized to the ChroPreg intervention (n = 131) or Standard Care (n = 131). No differences in LOS were found between groups (median 3.0 days, ChroPreg group 0.1% lower LOS, 95% CI -7.8 to 7%, p = 0.97). Women in the ChroPreg group reported being more satisfied with maternity care measured by the Pregnancy and Childbirth Questionnaire (PCQ) compared with the Standard Care group (mean PCQ 104.5 vs. 98.2, mean difference 6.3, 95% CI 3.0-10.0, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the ChroPreg intervention did not reduce LOS. However, women in the ChroPreg group were more satisfied with maternity care.

Improved exclusive breastfeeding rates in preterm infants after a neonatal nurse training program focusing on six breastfeeding-supportive clinical practices.

BACKGROUND: Early breast milk expression, prolonged skin-to-skin contact, rooming-in, use of test-weighing and minimizing use of pacifiers are positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding of preterm infants, whereas use of nipple shields is negatively associated. AIM: To test whether a training program for neonatal nurses with a focus on these six breastfeeding-supportive clinical practices affects the rate of preterm infants exclusively breastfed at discharge to home, the postmenstrual age at establishment of exclusive breastfeeding, and maternal self-reported use of the practice in the neonatal intensive care unit, the. METHODS: A quasi-experimental multi-centre intervention study from 2016-2019 including a control group of 420 preterm mother-infant dyads, an intervention with a training program for neonatal nurses and implementation of weekly breastfeeding meetings for neonatal nurses, and an intervention group of 494 preterm mother-infant dyads. RESULTS: Significantly more preterm infants in the intervention group were exclusively breastfed at discharge to home (66.6%) than in the control group (58.1%) p = 0.008. There was no significant difference in postmenstrual age at establishment of exclusive breastfeeding between control and intervention group (37.5 vs.37.8 weeks, p = 0.073). Compared to the control group the number of infants continuing daily skin-to-skin contact after incubator care increased (83.2% vs. 88.3%, p = 0.035), infants using a nipple shield decreased (61.8% vs. 54.2%, p = 0.029), and the number of mothers initiating breast milk expression before six hours post-partum increased (32.6% vs. 42.4%, p = 0.007). There was a significant correlation between percentage of neonatal nurses participating in the breastfeeding training program and changes in exclusive breastfeeding rates (Pearson Correlation 0.638, p = 0.047). CONCLUSION: Exclusive breastfeeding rates in preterm infants and maternal self-reported use of breastfeeding-supportive practices increased by training neonatal nurses in the six clinical practices. It is important to include all nurses in the breastfeeding training program to ensure positive effect on exclusive breastfeeding rates.

Rheumatoid arthritis and risk of spontaneous abortion: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of RA or preclinical RA on the risk of spontaneous abortion (SA) while taking age and duration of RA into consideration. METHODS: By linkage of data from Danish national registries, we established a nationwide cohort of pregnancies in Denmark from 1 January 1977 to 31 December 2014. We used multiple logistic regression to estimate; odds ratios (OR) for SA in women with RA or preclinical RA, compared with women without, and OR for SA by maternal age in women with RA or preclinical RA. RESULTS: A total of 2 612 529 pregnancies were included. Women aged <35 years diagnosed with RA <5 years before pregnancy had an increased risk of SA (OR = 1.25 95% CI: 1.07, 1.48), compared with women without RA aged <35. Women at the same age diagnosed with RA ≥5 years before pregnancy had an OR of 1.14 (0.96-1.34), compared with women without. Among women with RA aged ≥35 years and women with preclinical RA at time of pregnancy, no increased risk of SA was found. The risk of SA increased by maternal age in both women with RA, preclinical RA and in women without. CONCLUSION: Among women aged <35 years, the risk of SA was higher in women with RA compared with women without. After the age of 35 years, the risk of SA was no different from that among women without RA, even though the risk of SA increased with increasing age.

Parental Rheumatoid Arthritis, Child Mortality, and Case Fatality: A Nationwide Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We have previously reported increased long-term morbidity in children of parents with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Here we assess child mortality and case fatality in the same cohort. METHODS: All singletons born in Denmark from 1977 to 2008 were identified through linkage of Danish national registries. Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) of death from all causes among children exposed to parental RA, compared to unexposed children. Risk of death after infection or respiratory diseases was also assessed for children below the age of 5 years. RESULTS: This study followed 1,917,723 newborns for an average of 16 years. Of these, 13,556 were exposed to maternal RA and 6,330 to paternal RA. Overall mortality rates in children exposed to maternal or paternal RA did not differ from those in unexposed children (HR 0.98 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.84-1.15] and 1.08 [95% CI 0.86-1.36], respectively), nor did the risk of death below the ages of 5 years, 3 years, or 1 year. In the group of children below the age of 5 years, 6,106 children of parents with RA were diagnosed with respiratory diseases and 3,320 with infectious diseases. The case fatality rate in children with these diseases was not significantly higher than in unexposed children (HR 1.11 [95% CI 0.74-1.66] and 0.84 [95% CI 0.52-1.35], respectively). CONCLUSION: Children of parents with RA had similar mortality rates as other children, as well as after diagnoses of respiratory or infectious diseases.

Fetal growth and preterm birth in children exposed to maternal or paternal rheumatoid arthritis: a nationwide cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess indicators of fetal growth and risk of preterm birth in children of parents with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: Through linkage of Danish national registries, we identified all children born in Denmark between 1977 and 2008. We used general linear regression models to estimate mean differences in indicators of fetal growth among children with a parent with RA compared to unexposed children. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of preterm birth were calculated using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of the 1,917,723 children included, a total of 13,556 children were exposed to maternal RA or maternal preclinical RA. Children exposed to maternal RA (n = 2,101) had approximately similar length, head circumference, and abdominal circumference at birth compared with children of mothers without RA. Birth weight was 87 gm lower (mean difference -87.04 gm [95% CI -111.23, -62.84]) and placenta weight was 14 gm lower (-13.45 gm [95% CI -21.46, -5.43]) than those in children of mothers without RA. Rather similar results were found in children exposed to maternal preclinical RA (n = 11,455). Compared with unexposed children, a higher risk of preterm birth was found in children exposed to maternal RA (OR 1.48 [95% CI 1.20, 1.84]) and preclinical RA (OR 1.32 [95% CI 1.07, 1.64]). No associations were found with paternal RA. CONCLUSION: Children exposed to either maternal RA or maternal preclinical RA are more often born preterm. However, indicators of fetal growth measured at birth were only slightly lower than those in unexposed children.

A comparative study of educational inequality in the risk of stillbirth in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden 1981-2000.

BACKGROUND: The stillbirth rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are among the lowest in the world, but socioeconomic disparities in stillbirth still exist. This study examined the educational patterns in the risk of stillbirth in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden from 1981 to 2000. METHODS: From the national birth registries, all singleton live births and stillbirths with a gestational age of at least 28 weeks were selected in Denmark (n=1 182 888), Finland (n=419 729), Norway (n=1 006 767) and Sweden (n=1 974 101). The births were linked with individual data on parental socioeconomic factors from various national registers. Linear and logistic regression were used to calculate RR and risk differences for stillbirth according to maternal educational attainment. RESULTS: The risk of stillbirth was lowest in Finland and highest in Denmark. The risk decreased over time in Denmark, Norway and Finland, but remained stable in Sweden. Educational gradients were found in all countries in all time periods under study. In Denmark, the gradient remained stable over time. In Norway the gradient decreased slightly during the 1990s, whereas the gradient increased in Sweden. The gradient in Finland was relatively stable. CONCLUSIONS: There were persisting educational inequalities in stillbirth in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in the 1980s and 1990s. Inequalities were stable or decreasing except in Sweden, where an increase in inequality was observed. This increase was not solely attributable to a decreasing absolute risk of stillbirth as both the relative and absolute measures of inequality increased.