Impact of pandemic service changes on ethnic inequalities in maternal and perinatal outcomes in England: a population-based study.

Objective: In the UK and worldwide, there are substantial ethnic inequalities in maternal and perinatal care and outcomes. We aim to assess the impact of the unprecedented change in care provision during the COVID-19 pandemic on inequalities in adverse maternity outcomes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study using structured electronic health record data.

Modelling pollutants transport scenarios based on the X-Press Pearl disaster.

The MV X-Press Pearl accident near Sri Lanka in May 2021 released several pollutants into the ocean, including 1843.3 t of urea, raising concerns about the impact on the region. This study uses a coupled ocean (NEMO)-biogeochemistry (ERSEM) model to simulate urea dispersion under various scenarios.

COVID-19 Vaccine Safety in Pregnancy, A Nested Case-Control Study in Births From April 2021 to March 2022, England.

Objective: Assessment of COVID-19 vaccine safety in pregnancy using population-based data.

Design: Matched case-control study nested in a retrospective cohort.

Setting: April 2021-March 2022, England.

Iatrogenic and spontaneous preterm birth in England: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: To describe the rates of and risk factors associated with iatrogenic and spontaneous preterm birth and the variation in rates between hospitals.

Design: Cohort study using electronic health records.

Setting: English National Health Service.

Use of induction of labour and emergency caesarean section and perinatal outcomes in English maternity services: a national hospital-level study.

Objectives: To assess the association between hospital-level rates of induction of labour and emergency caesarean section, as measures of "practice style", and rates of adverse perinatal outcomes.

Design: National study using electronic maternity records.

Setting: English National Health Service.

Obstetric interventions and pregnancy outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic in England: A nationwide cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted maternity services worldwide and imposed restrictions on societal behaviours. This national study aimed to compare obstetric intervention and pregnancy outcome rates in England during the pandemic and corresponding pre-pandemic calendar periods, and to assess whether differences in these rates varied according to ethnic and socioeconomic background.

Methods And Findings: We conducted a national study of singleton births in English National Health Service hospitals.

Risk of postpartum haemorrhage is associated with ethnicity: A cohort study of 981 801 births in England.

Objective: To determine the association between ethnic group and risk of postpartum haemorrhage in women giving birth.

Design: Cohort study.

Setting: Maternity units in England.

Adverse pregnancy outcomes attributable to socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities in England: a national cohort study.

Background: Socioeconomic deprivation and minority ethnic background are risk factors for adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to quantify the magnitude of these socioeconomic and ethnic inequalities at the population level in England.

Methods: In this cohort study, we used data compiled by the National Maternity and Perinatal Audit, based on birth records from maternity information systems used by 132 National Health Service hospitals in England, linked to administrative hospital data.

Validation of ethnicity in administrative hospital data in women giving birth in England: cohort study.

Objective: To describe the accuracy of coding of ethnicity in National Health Service (NHS) administrative hospital records compared with self-declared records in maternity booking systems, and to assess the potential impact of misclassification bias.

Design: Secondary analysis of data from records of women giving birth in England (2015-2017).

Setting: NHS Trusts in England participating in a national audit programme.

Maternal and perinatal outcomes of pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of birth in England: national cohort study.

Background: Some studies have suggested that women with SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy are at increased risk of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, but these associations are still not clear.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of birth and maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Study Design: This is a population-based cohort study in England.

COVID-19 in Women's health: Epidemiology.

The disease COVID-19 emerged in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread, causing a pandemic that is ongoing and has resulted in more than two million deaths worldwide. COVID-19 is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which spreads effectively by direct contact with an infected person or contaminated surface, droplet or aerosol transmission. Vertical transmission, if it does occur, is rare.

Risk of complicated birth at term in nulliparous and multiparous women using routinely collected maternity data in England: cohort study.

Objectives: To determine the rate of complicated birth at term in women classified at low risk according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline for intrapartum care (no pre-existing medical conditions, important obstetric history, or complications during pregnancy) and to assess if the risk classification can be improved by considering parity and the number of risk factors.

Design: Cohort study using linked electronic maternity records.

Participants: 276 766 women with a singleton birth at term after a trial of labour in 87 NHS hospital trusts in England between April 2015 and March 2016.

A Safety Evaluation of the Impact of Maternity-Orientated Human Factors Training on Safety Culture in a Tertiary Maternity Unit.

Background: Human factors have risen to attention in maternity as key contributors to patient harm. Despite national recommendation for multidisciplinary human factors training, there is a lack of guidance and healthcare-orientated training.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of maternity-orientated human factors training program on safety culture in a tertiary maternity unit.

Risk of obstetric anal sphincter injury in women having a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean section: A population-based cohort study.

Objective: Caesarean section is increasing in prevalence and with it the proportion of women going into their next pregnancy with a scar on their uterus. For women considering vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC), accurate information about the associated risks is required.

Study Design: The cohort comprised 192,057 women who had a vaginal delivery of a singleton, term, cephalic infant between the 1st April 2013 and the 31st March 2014 in England: 182,064 women who were having their first baby, and 9993 women who were having a second baby after a previous caesarean delivery.

Haemorrhage at caesarean section: a framework for prevention and research.

Purpose Of Review: Caesarean section rates are increasing across the world. Postpartum haemorrhage is a major cause of morbidity and mortality; major haemorrhage is more common after caesarean delivery. There is a wide range of practice in the prevention and treatment of postpartum haemorrhage at caesarean section.

A curious case of haemolysis, seizure and acute renal failure associated with pregnancy.

Differential diagnosis between thrombotic microangiopathies in pregnancy is challenging due to overlapping clinical and pathological findings and the rapid progression of disease. We present here an unusual case of Haemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets (HELLP) syndrome, which represents this diagnostic dilemma. The patient was treated with steroids and plasma exchange, leading to a favourable outcome.