Sudden Unexpected Postnatal Collapse Resulting in Newborn Death in the United States.
Tatiana M Anderson, Juan M Lavista Ferres, Jan-Marino Ramirez and 1 others
PMID 33587345WHAT IT FOUND
Most deaths from sudden unexpected postnatal collapse occurred on days 3 to 6, not just day 1.
Maternity nurses should monitor and counsel families through the first week, not only the first 24 hours.
Key findings
01The study identified 616 SUPC deaths among 1260 SUEND cases, a rate of 1.5 per 100,000 live births.
02Only 11% of SUPC deaths occurred during the first day of life, while 72% occurred during postnatal days 3 to 6.
03First-week SUPC deaths were statistically different from deaths occurring 7 to 364 days, with differences in sex, marital status, and live birth order.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The analysis included only deaths, not collapses that survived, which have been estimated as 50% of cases. The exact time of collapse was unknown, so timing was based on day of death. The percentage of deaths occurring in hospital could not be directly determined and was estimated from typical postpartum stay length. Important SUPC risk factors, such as prone position, skin-to-skin care, unsupervised breastfeeding, maternal fatigue, and smartphone use, were not routinely collected.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that most SUPC deaths occur at home or that postpartum monitoring can stop after the first day. The study counted deaths only, not collapses, and the exact collapse time and hospital setting were not known.