Pregnancy after loss during the COVID19 pandemic.
Danielle Pollock, Margaret M Murphy, Joann O'Leary and 1 others
PMID 32798066WHAT IT FOUND
Maternity care restrictions during the pandemic may unintentionally harm women with prior stillbirth by reducing essential monitoring and support.
Clinicians should maintain access to peer support, involve partners in appointments, and preserve evidence-based surveillance for these high-risk pregnancies.
Key findings
01Reduced face-to-face antenatal consultations and telehealth-only care may lead to missed physical checks, such as blood pressure measurements, which are critical for women with a history of stillbirth.
02Excluding support persons from antenatal and sonography appointments can negatively impact attachment and psychosocial wellbeing for families experiencing pregnancy after loss.
03Evidence-based guidelines for pregnancy after loss, including high-level psychosocial support and peer support, should be re-implemented as soon as it is safe to do so.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a narrative review and discussion piece, not a systematic review or meta-analysis, so it does not provide quantitative data on outcomes. The recommendations are based on expert opinion and extrapolation from existing guidelines and reports, rather than new empirical evidence generated by the authors. The 'current reality' described may vary significantly by region and healthcare system, and the article focuses on high-income countries.
Declared interests
None declared. No funding was received.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this as evidence that telehealth is unsafe for all pregnant women. The specific risks highlighted apply to women with a history of stillbirth who require enhanced monitoring and psychosocial support that may be lost in generalized pandemic care models.