Study suggests parents of preterm infants miss more postpartum care
Researchers from the Leonard Davis Institute have investigated whether the intensive focus on neonatal care for preterm infants may come at the expense of critical maternal follow-up, and recommend integrating maternal health care into the NICU.
2 min. read
More than half of maternal deaths occur after childbirth, yet one in three postpartum patients—a highly vulnerable group—goes without essential follow-up care. The period immediately after birth presents a critical window to detect and treat health conditions that can lead to serious complications or even death. When postpartum care is missed, so are life-saving opportunities.
The stakes are even higher for birthing parents whose infants are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where the focus on newborn health may overshadow urgent maternal needs.
A recent study, led by Leonard Davis Institute (LDI) associate fellow Kristan Scott, along with LDI senior fellow Heather Burris and colleagues, investigates whether the intensive focus on neonatal care for preterm infants may come at the expense of critical maternal follow-up. They examine whether birthing parents of preterm infants—those born before 35 weeks’ gestation and routinely admitted to the NICU—are less likely to receive postpartum care compared to parents of infants born after 35 weeks.
Given the elevated risk of morbidity among birthing parents of preterm infants—particularly those facing prolonged hospitalizations—the NICU may serve as a promising and underused setting for establishing postpartum care.
This story is by Christine Weeks. Read more at Penn LDI.
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