Injury-related maternal mortality

Risk of Death at 1 Year Following Postpartum Opioid Exposure

OBJECTIVE

Opioids are commonly prescribed to women for acute pain following childbirth. Postpartum prescription opioid exposure is associated with adverse opioid-related morbidities but the association with all-cause mortality is not well studied. This study aimed to examine the association between postpartum opioid prescription fills and the 1-year risk of all-cause mortality among women with live births.

METHODS

In a retrospective cohort study of live births among women enrolled in Tennessee Medicaid (TennCare) between 2007 and 2015, we compared women who filled two or more postpartum outpatient opioid prescriptions (up to 41 days of postdelivery discharge) to women who filled one or fewer opioid prescription. Women were followed from day 42 postdelivery discharge through 365 days of follow-up or date of death. Deaths were identified using linked death certificates (2007-2016). We used Cox's proportional hazard regression and inverse probability of treatment weights to compare time to death between exposure groups while adjusting for relevant confounders. We also examined effect modification by delivery route, race, opioid use disorder, use of benzodiazepines, and mental health condition diagnosis.

RESULTS

Among 264,135 eligible births, 216,762 (82.1%) had one or fewer maternal postpartum opioid fills and 47,373 (17.9%) had two or more fills. There were 182 deaths during follow-up. The mortality rate was higher in women with two or more fills (120.5 per 100,000 person-years) than in those with one or fewer (57.7 per 100,000 person-years). The risk of maternal death remained higher in participants exposed to two or more opioid fills after accounting for relevant covariates using inverse probability of treatment weighting (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.46 [95% confidence interval: 1.01, 2.09]). Findings from stratified analyses were consistent with main findings.

CONCLUSION

Filling two or more opioid prescriptions during the postpartum period was associated with a significant increase in 1-year risk of death among new mothers.

KEY POINTS

· Opioid prescribing in the postpartum period is common.. · Prior studies show that >1 postnatal opioid fill is associated with adverse opioid-related events.. · > 1 opioid fill within 42 days of delivery was associated with an increase in 1-year risk of death..

Maternal Deaths Using Coroner's Data: A Latent Class Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Knowledge regarding the antecedent clinical and social factors associated with maternal death around the time of pregnancy is limited. This study identified distinct subgroups of maternal deaths using population-based coroner's data, and that may inform ongoing preventative initiatives.

METHODS

A detailed review of coroner's death files was performed for all of Ontario, Canada, where there is a single reporting mechanism for maternal deaths. Deaths in pregnancy, or within 365 days thereafter, were identified within the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario database, 2004-2020. Variables related to the social and clinical circumstances surrounding the deaths were abstracted in a standardized manner from each death file, including demographics, forensic information, nature and cause of death, and antecedent health and health care factors. These variables were then entered into a latent class analysis (LCA) to identify distinct types of deaths.

RESULTS

Among 273 deaths identified in the study period, LCA optimally identified three distinct subgroups, namely, (1) in-hospital deaths arising during birth or soon thereafter (52.7% of the sample); (2) accidents and unforeseen obstetric complications also resulting in infant demise (26.3%); and (3) out-of-hospital suicides occurring postpartum (21.0%). Physical injury (22.0%) was the leading cause of death, followed by hemorrhage (16.8%) and overdose (13.3%).

CONCLUSION

Peri-pregnancy maternal deaths can be classified into three distinct sub-types, with somewhat differing causes. These findings may enhance clinical and policy development aimed at reducing pregnancy mortality.

Development and internal validation of a model predicting severe maternal morbidity using pre-conception and early pregnancy variables: a population-based study in Ontario, Canada

BACKGROUND

Improvement in the prediction and prevention of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) - a range of life-threatening conditions during pregnancy, at delivery or within 42 days postpartum - is a public health priority. Reduction of SMM at a population level would be facilitated by early identification and prediction. We sought to develop and internally validate a model to predict maternal end-organ injury or death using variables routinely collected during pre-pregnancy and the early pregnancy period.

METHODS

We performed a population-based cohort study using linked administrative health data in Ontario, Canada, from April 1, 2006 to March 31, 2014. We included women aged 18-60 years with a livebirth or stillbirth, of which one birth was randomly selected per woman. We constructed a clinical prediction model for the primary composite outcome of any maternal end-organ injury or death, arising between 20 weeks' gestation and 42 days after the birth hospital discharge date. Our model included variables collected from 12 months before estimated conception until 19 weeks' gestation. We developed a separate model for parous women to allow for the inclusion of factors from previous pregnancy(ies).

RESULTS

Of 634,290 women, 1969 experienced the primary composite outcome (3.1 per 1000). Predictive factors in the main model included maternal world region of origin, chronic medical conditions, parity, and obstetrical/perinatal issues - with moderate model discrimination (C-statistic 0.68, 95% CI 0.66-0.69). Among 333,435 parous women, the C-statistic was 0.71 (0.69-0.73) in the model using variables from the current (index) pregnancy as well as pre-pregnancy predictors and variables from any previous pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

A combination of factors ascertained early in pregnancy through a basic medical history help to identify women at risk for severe morbidity, who may benefit from targeted preventive and surveillance strategies including appropriate specialty-based antenatal care pathways. Further refinement and external validation of this model are warranted and can support evidence-based improvements in clinical practice.

Accidental death during pregnancy and puerperium from 2009 to 2019 in Hunan, China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

Few studies have analysed accidental maternal deaths. This study analysed the basic situation and classification of maternal accidental deaths and compared the differences between urban and rural areas.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study on accidental deaths during pregnancy and puerperium from 2009 to 2019 in Hunan Province.

SETTING

Hunan Province, with a population of 74 million, has an area of 210 000 km² and 123 counties/districts.

PARTICIPANTS

A collection of 239 cases of accidental death during pregnancy and puerperium in Hunan Province from 2009 to 2019, including 181 cases of rural pregnancy and puerperium and 58 cases of urban pregnancy and puerperium.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Classification of accidental mortality of pregnant women.

RESULTS

A total of 239 accidental deaths occurred in Hunan Province, with an accidental mortality rate of 2.8 per 100 000 live births. The accidental mortality rate in rural areas (3.2 per 100 000 live births) was higher than in urban areas (2.0 per 100 000 live births). The proportion of accidental deaths among pregnancy-related deaths showed an upward trend. The main types of accidental deaths were suicide (1.0 per 100 000 live births), traffic accidents (0.8 per 100 000 live births), accidental poisoning/overdose and assault/homicide (0.2 per 100 000 live births), and other accidents (0.6 per 100 000 live births). Maternal accidental deaths were mainly concentrated in low-income families, in rural areas and in those with low level of education. 74.5% of accidental deaths occurred before childbirth. 49.2% of pregnant women gave birth by caesarean section.

CONCLUSION

In response to the different causes of accidental maternal death, public health programmes and policy interventions should pay special attention to maternal suicide and traffic injuries.

Severe Maternal Morbidity and Infant Mortality in Canada

BACKGROUND

Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) comprises an array of conditions and procedures denoting an acutely life-threatening pregnancy-related condition. SMM may further compromise fetal well-being. Empirical data are lacking about the relation between SMM and infant mortality.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study included 1 892 857 singleton births between 2002 and 2017 in Ontario, Canada, within a universal health care system. The exposure was SMM as an overall construct arising from 23 weeks' gestation up to 42 days after the index delivery. The primary outcome was infant mortality from birth to 365 days. Multivariable modified Poisson regression generated relative risks and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for maternal age, income, rurality, world region of origin, diabetes mellitus, and chronic hypertension.

RESULTS

Infant mortality occurred among 174 of 19 587 live births with SMM (8.9 per 1000) vs 5289 of 1 865 791 live births without SMM (2.8 per 1000) (an adjusted relative risk of 2.93 [95% CI 2.51-3.41]). Of 19 587 pregnancies with SMM, 4523 (23.1%) had sepsis. Relative to births without SMM, the adjusted odds ratio for infant death from sepsis was 1.95 (95% CI 1.10-3.45) if SMM occurred without maternal sepsis and 6.36 (95% CI 3.50-11.55) if SMM included sepsis.

CONCLUSIONS

SMM confers a higher risk of infant death. There is also coupling tendency (concurrent event of interest) between SMM with sepsis and infant death from sepsis. Identification of preventable SMM indicators, as well as the development of strategies to limit their onset or progression, may reduce infant mortality.

Acute poisoning in pregnancy: a province-wide perspective from a poison center

Background: Poisoning in pregnancy can cause maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, but few data detail such events. Herein, we describe poisoning exposures in pregnant women identified by a large Canadian Poison Centre.Methods: This retrospective study evaluated poisoning exposures in pregnant women aged 12-60 years, reported to the Ontario Poison Centre from 2010 to 2017. Exposures were identified from the Poison Centre database by calls received, in which the patient was also reported to be pregnant. We collected patient demographics (age, trimester, and location), as well as information about the poisoning exposure (number and type of substances, route of exposure, reason for exposure, decontamination, and treatment recommendations).Results: There were 1716 cases of poisoning exposures during pregnancy over the eight-year study period, representing 0.28% of all 619,539 calls over the period. Median maternal age was 29 years (IQR 25-33), and exposures were most frequent in the second trimester of pregnancy (41%). Unintentional exposures (n = 1397) accounted for 81% of all calls. Of the 18% of calls (n = 305) for intentional exposures, 71% (n = 219) were suspected attempted suicides. Intentional exposures were more frequent in the first (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.85-3.76) and second trimesters (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.13-2.28), relative to third trimester. The associated risk of intentional exposures was more likely in women aged ≤19 years (OR 21.41, 95% CI 12.75-35.94) and 20-29 years (OR 3.72, 95% CI 2.70-5.14), relative to women ≥30 years old.Conclusions: Intentional poisoning exposures in pregnancy most commonly involve young women in the first two trimesters. Population-based studies are needed to further examine risk factors for overdose, poisoning, and self-harm in pregnancy, as well as perinatal outcomes.

Postpartum self-inflicted injury, suicide, assault and homicide in relation to immigrant status in Ontario: a retrospective population-based cohort study

BACKGROUND

Intentional injury, including suicide and assault, is a leading cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. We aimed to determine whether immigrant and nonimmigrant women differ in their 1-year risk of intentional injury after birth.

METHODS

This population-based retrospective cohort study used administrative data from Ontario from 2002 to 2012. Risk of self-inflicted injury (self-harm or suicide), and injury inflicted by others (assault or homicide), were each analyzed within 1 year after delivery of a live-born infant for immigrant and nonimmigrant mothers. Relative risks (RRs) were adjusted for maternal age, parity, income, resource utilization and psychiatric history.

RESULTS

The study included 327 279 immigrant and 942 502 nonimmigrant mothers. Risk of self-inflicted injury was similar among immigrants and nonimmigrants (adjusted RR 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.78-1.04), with no variation by duration of residence or refugee status. Immigrants were at lower risk than nonimmigrants for injury inflicted by others (adjusted RR 0.57, 95% CI 0.51-0.64); that risk was higher among refugees than among nonrefugee immigrants (adjusted RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.33-2.41), and it was higher among long-term (adjusted RR 2.27, 95% CI 1.76-2.91) and medium-term (adjusted RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.19-2.11) immigrants than among recent immigrants. Variability by country of origin was observed for both injury types.

INTERPRETATION

Immigrant mothers have a reported risk for self-inflicted injury after birth similar to that of their Canadian-born counterparts. The extent to which selective underreporting of intentional injury in immigrant women might explain our findings is a key consideration for future research.