FemBridge’s Post

Dexter: Maternal Health    Dexter is delighted to announce our involvement in a grant recently awarded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The grant focuses on tackling inequalities in maternal health outcomes across the UK, covering the periods before, during, and after pregnancy. The consortium’s goal is to build research capacity to improve maternal care and outcomes.    At Dexter, we are proud to support this important initiative by automating key tasks and leveraging electronic health records to enhance research and care delivery. Together, we aim to make a meaningful impact on maternal health.     https://lnkd.in/e2Q6GxPg 

An issue close to my heart. Pregnant women deserve so much more than they’re getting and doulas are a piece of the puzzle, but let’s not stop there. Pregnancy and childbirth is such a vulnerable and powerful time as it can have ripple effects across lifetimes for moms and babies. Pregnant women are very aware of the enormity of the experience and should be met with the best support our society can provide when they take this on. Measuring ROI in terms of dollars for the kind of care that saves lives and impacts lifetimes may be the argument we need to get the funding, but let’s not forget that birth and parenting is the ultimate investment in our collective future, with women and their families putting their very lives and futures on the line to do it. Our health care system, and Medicaid in particular, is well positioned to underwrite that investment, and it’s money well spent, in my mind.

Preterm birth is a leading cause of infant deaths in the United States. Regions with high preterm birth rates are maternity care deserts. 'Over 370,000 babies – that’s 1 in 10 babies – are born too early,” said Dr. Amanda Williams, interim chief medical officer for March of Dimes. Racial disparities persist, she added; for Black people, the preterm birth rate is 1.5 times higher than the rate among all other babies. For every 1,000 babies born in 2023, about 6 died, unchanged from the rate in 2022. The rate of preterm births (born before 37 weeks gestation) also remained unchanged at a high rate of 10.4% last year. Cities with low or no access to maternal care along with many chronic conditions and patients living with a greater number of things like hypertension, diabetes, obesity also have high preterm birth rates. Solutions include: Improving and increasing access to care Increasing healthcare workforce including midwives having a bigger role Telehealth as a option in the care delivery Patient education/empowerment Working with hospital and healthcare systems and professionals, we can help do our part to improve the sad situation. HeraCARE is an enabler of improved care access where we leverage technology to complement and augment healthcare teams, have telehealth-telemedecine capabilities, customised care plans around pregnancy conditions and customised education for patient based on health industry protocols. We can and should work together to reduce all maternal and newborn preventable complications, mortality and morbidity. https://lnkd.in/gC53S3si #maternity #maternal #fetal #NICU #preterm #birth HeraMED Limited

Nine UK universities have been selected to help tackle inequalities in maternity outcomes as part of the new NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Challenge Maternity Disparities Consortium. The research carried out by the consortium is supported by £50 million in funding over five years, announced in March 2024, and will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy. Full story: https://lnkd.in/euHRw3bZ

"Our military families should never have to face arbitrary, needless barriers just to access prenatal care." We agree! Healthcare plans should adapt to meet people's changing needs, and pregnancy is a big change. Let's make sure we serve those who so bravely serve us. ➡️ Read the article here: https://hubs.ly/Q02YYNmF0 #prenatalcare #healthcare

Announced today the new NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) Challenge Maternity Disparities Consortium, with the aim of tackling inequalities in maternity outcomes. The research carried out by the consortium will focus on inequalities before, during and after pregnancy.  The consortium will also focus on building capacity for further research to help improve services over time. It will help support professionals who plan and deliver services for women and babies across both health and social care. Bournemouth University has teamed up Hora Soltani #Sheffield Hallam University.

Our wonderful PhD student and midwife from Ethiopia has just published this article, part of his PhD on Respectful Maternity Care. Well done Ephrem Yohannes Yohannes, E., et al, (2024). Impact of disrespectful maternity care on childbirth complications: a multicentre cross-sectional study in Ethiopia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 24(1). https://lnkd.in/gumeyqt9 

“We need to find the unknowns to include them in the desire to decrease at risk factors to ensure positive childbirth outcomes!” “The unknowns? Those medical histories finding themselves not found in patients’ records!” “When a child is sexually accosted every sixty-eight (68) seconds according to RAINN.org — especially when kept a secret, within the family — this historical medical exclusion becomes buried at the time of assault in the brain’s attempt to protect the child’s psyche! The child’s personality!” “If we are 100% serious about decreasing maternal suicides, all must take note of possibilities that may exist for childbearers having no prior knowledge of ACE’s!” “I, as a two-time postpartum psychosis survivor, I know firsthand the worst motherhood can bring to a new mom and her entire family!This was fifty (50) years ago and there is still nothing to detour the higher rates of maternal suicide today! Any experience of sexual abuse prior to seven (7) years old, places childbearers at greater risk to experience a compromised and perinatal outcome. A state that if assumed for every childbearer could prevent maternal suicide and/or infanticide!” “Experiencing PPD or a psychotic episode and/or total mental breakdown can be avoided at all times if all concerned were on the side of prevention!” #PURPLE4PREVENTION #PerinatalPsychosis #PostpartumPsychosis #SpiritualComponentofCare #PPD #PPP #PNMD #mothers #mentalwellness #RAINN #MarchofDimes #OBtrainedinemergencies #Nutrition #Repletion #BoneBroth #Obstetricians #MedicalSchools

This whole country’s problem is diversity, equity, and inclusion. Lack of humanism. No tolerance for differences especially that support agency. And problems with accountability. I have always viewed my role as a physician as a privilege to be a part of a most vulnerable part of someone’s life, dealing with their health and well-being. It is very clear that many doctors/systems don’t want to lose the appearance of power, but truth is helping a patient have a great outcome is empowering to and for BOTH of us! Because we are supposed to “DO NO HARM.” With the way the current hospital policies and systems are, I must admit when parents would come in with birth plans I used to be frustrated. But through working with patients and learning from others on this platform, including Nicole Rankins, MD, MPH and Leslie Farrington MD, I realized that our responsibility is to educate our patients and learn from our patients too. And empower them to have a healthy outcome. Plus, many policies were not built with the patient experience in mind. When I am in doubt about a policy or procedure, I always ask will it really help the patient? Care of the patient is paramount and doctors should also buck a system that causes harm in any way. Much of what we have been taught in Medicine and healthcare needs to be unlearned. The roots of a thing, the foundation, the intent, the impact- it all matters. And perhaps instead of trying to remodel our system, it needs ro be torn down and built new with all KEY investors at the table - including the patients themselves. #patientcare #patientadvocacy #humanisminmedicine #maternalhealth #doulasupport #momsandbabiesmatter

Medicaid is a critical source of healthcare coverage for women during pregnancy, covering nearly half of U.S. births. Yet, our study suggests that many eligible pregnant women may delay enrolling in a Medicaid plan, with just under two thirds enrolled six months prior to birth. These enrollment delays may limit access to essential prenatal care and services, like care coordination, early in pregnancy. Our report explores some policy considerations to expedite health plan enrollment and increase access to maternal care. Read the full report ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eCyr9FVX #MaternalHealth #Medicaid