Changes in preterm birth during the COVID-19 pandemic by duration of exposure and race and ethnicity.

2022

08/2022

1476-5543

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether coronavirus-disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exposure duration was associated with PTB and if the pandemic modified racial disparities.

STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed Philadelphia births and replicated in New Haven. Compared to matched months in two prior years, we analyzed overall PTB, specific PTB phenotypes, and stillbirth.

RESULTS: Overall, PTB was similar between periods with the following exceptions. Compared to pre-pandemic, early pregnancy (<14 weeks') pandemic exposure was associated with lower risk of PTB < 28 weeks' (aRR 0.60 [0.30-1.10]) and later exposure with higher risk (aRR 1.77 [0.78-3.97]) (interaction p = 0.04). PTB < 32 weeks' among White patients decreased during the pandemic, resulting in non-significant widening of the Black-White disparity from aRR 2.51 (95%CI: 1.53-4.16) to aRR 4.07 (95%CI: 1.56-12.01) (interaction P = 0.41). No findings replicated in New Haven.

CONCLUSION: We detected no overall pandemic effects on PTB, but potential indirect benefits for some patients which could widen disparities remains possible.

10.1038/s41372-022-01488-1

J Perinatol

35974082

Clinician-reported childbirth outcomes, patient-reported childbirth trauma, and risk for postpartum depression.

2022

985-993

10/2022

1435-1102

Childbirth trauma is common and increases risk for postpartum depression (PPD). However, we lack brief measures to reliably identify individuals who experience childbirth trauma and who may be at greater prospective risk for PPD. To address this gap, we used data from a racially diverse prospective cohort (n=1082). We collected survey data during pregnancy and at 12 weeks postpartum, as well as clinician-reported data from medical records. A new three-item measure of patient-reported childbirth trauma was a robust and independent risk factor for PPD, above and beyond other known risk factors for PPD, including prenatal anxiety and depression. Cesarean birth, greater blood loss, and preterm birth were each associated with greater patient-reported childbirth trauma. Finally, there were prospective indirect pathways whereby cesarean birth and higher blood loss were related to higher patient-reported childbirth trauma, in turn predicting greater risk for PPD. Early universal postpartum screening for childbirth trauma, targeted attention to individuals with childbirth complications, and continued screening for depression and anxiety can identify individuals at risk for PPD. Such efforts can inform targeted interventions to improve maternal mental health, which plays a vital role in infant development.

10.1007/s00737-022-01263-3

Arch Womens Ment Health

36030417

Maternal stress, low cervicovaginal β-defensin, and spontaneous preterm birth.

2020

2020 May

2589-9333

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) is a major contributor to infant mortality and its etiology remains poorly understood. Host immunity and maternal stress may play a role in the pathogenesis of sPTB but mechanisms are poorly delineated. Antimicrobial proteins in the cervicovaginal space, such as beta defensins, modulate immune responses to bacteria and have been shown to modulate the risk of sPTB from non-optimal microbiota. While stress is known to induce immunological changes, no study has examined the interplay between maternal stress and the immune response in association with sPTB.

Objectives: Our objectives were to determine whether psychosocial stress was associated with a mediator of the immune system in the cervicovaginal space, beta defensin-2, and to examine the combined impact of high stress and low cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels on the odds of sPTB.

Study Design: From the cohort study (n=2000), we performed a secondary, nested case-control study, frequency matched by race/ethnicity, of 519 pregnant women (110 sPTB and 409 term). Stress and cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels were measured at 16-20 weeks of gestation. Stress was dichotomized at a score of 30 on Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). We measured cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels with ELISA and dichotomized at the median. We modeled associations of high stress and low cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels using multivariable logistic regression. We also compared the proportion of women with high stress and low cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels among women with spontaneous preterm and term births using Chi-Square tests. We modeled adjusted associations of stress and cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels with odds of sPTB using logistic regression.

Results: The majority of the study population was non-Hispanic black (72.8%), insured by Medicaid (51.1%), and had a PSS-14 score < 30 (80.2%). High stress was associated with reduced adjusted odds of low beta defensin-2 levels (aOR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.38 -0.99). In a model adjusted for race and smoking, both high stress (aOR 1.72, 95% CI: 1.03-2.90) and low beta defensin-2 (aOR 1.58, 95% CI: 1.004-2.49) were associated with increased odds of sPTB. We then built a model of the four possible combinations of low and high stress and low and high beta defensin-2 levels with the odds of sPTB. Women with either high stress (aOR 1.37, 95% CI: 0.68 - 2.78) or low beta defensin-2 (aOR 1.40, 95% CI: 0.83-2.34), had slightly elevated but not significantly increased odds of sPTB compared to women with neither exposure. However, women with both high stress and low beta defensin-2 had significantly elevated odds of sPTB compared to women with neither exposure (aOR 3.16, 95 % CI: 1.46 - 6.84).

Conclusion: High perceived stress and low cervicovaginal beta defensin-2 levels are associated with higher odds of sPTB, and when present concurrently, they result in the highest odds of sPTB in a largely non-Hispanic black cohort. Our findings warrant further work to examine social determinants of health and the host cervicovaginal immune responses that may modulate the pathogenesis of sPTB.

10.1016/j.ajogmf.2020.100092

Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM

32671334

Association of COVID-19 and Endemic Systemic Racism With Postpartum Anxiety and Depression Among Black Birthing Individuals.

2022

2022 Apr 13

2168-6238

<p><strong>Importance: </strong>The intersection of endemic structural racism and the global health crisis secondary to the COVID-19 pandemic represents a syndemic, defined as the aggregation of 2 or more endemic and epidemic conditions leading to adverse repercussions for health. Long-standing inequities have placed Black individuals at disproportionate risk for negative postpartum mental health outcomes. Studies are urgently needed to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has added to this risk (eg, syndemic associations).</p>

<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the association between the syndemic and the postpartum mental health of Black birthing individuals.</p>

<p><strong>Design, Setting, and Participants: </strong>A longitudinal cohort of Black birthing individuals were followed up from pregnancy (April 17 to July 8, 2020) through the early postpartum period (August 11, 2020, to March 2, 2021) from urban university medical center prenatal clinics. Pregnant Black participants were recruited via email and completed 2 online surveys.</p>

<p><strong>Main Outcomes and Measures: </strong>Composite variables capturing negative experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and racism (structural racism [general], structural racism [neighborhood], and interpersonal racism) were created. Logistic regressions examined main and interactive associations between these variables and postpartum depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale).</p>

<p><strong>Results: </strong>The mean (SD) age of 151 Black participants was 30.18 (5.65) years. The association between higher negative COVID-19 pandemic experiences and postpartum depression may be influenced by experiences of interpersonal racism and general systemic racism. Negative COVID-19 pandemic experiences were associated with greater likelihood of screening positive for depression only at higher levels of systemic racism (odds ratio, 2.52; 95% CI, 1.38-4.60) and interpersonal racism (odds ratio, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.04-3.48) but not at lower levels of systemic or interpersonal racism. Similarly, negative COVID-19 experiences were associated with anxiety only at higher levels of interpersonal racism (odds ratio, 1.85; 95% CI, 0.86-4.01) but not at lower levels of interpersonal racism. Overall, 44 (29%) met screening criteria for postpartum depression and 20 (13%) for postpartum anxiety.</p>

<p><strong>Conclusions and Relevance: </strong>In this longitudinal cohort study of Black birthing individuals, the experience of the syndemic was associated with negative postpartum mental health. Associations between interpersonal racism, structural racism, and negative COVID-19 pandemic experiences were associated with greater risk for postpartum depression and anxiety. Research is needed to address how systemic racism perturbs biobehavioral pathways to magnify associations between acute stressors and mental health. Such research can inform the creation of effective, culturally informed preventive interventions to improve the postpartum mental health of Black individuals.</p>

10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.0597

JAMA Psychiatry

35416928

Second trimester short cervix is associated with decreased abundance of cervicovaginal lipid metabolites.

2022

2022 Apr 22

1097-6868

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Short cervix is a risk factor for preterm birth. Molecular drivers of short cervix remain elusive. Metabolites may function as mediators of pathologic processes.</p>

<p><strong>OBJECTIVES: </strong>We sought to determine if a distinct cervicovaginal metabolomic profile is associated with short cervix (&lt;25 mm) to unveil potential mechanisms by which premature cervical remodeling leads to short cervix.</p>

<p><strong>STUDY DESIGN: </strong>This was a secondary analysis of a completed prospective pregnancy cohort. Cervicovaginal fluid was obtained between 20-24 weeks' gestation. Participants selected for metabolomic profiling were frequency matched by birth outcome and cervicovaginal microbiota profile. This analysis included the 222 participants with cervical length measured. Short cervix was defined as &lt;25 mm as measured by transvaginal ultrasound. Unpaired t-tests were performed with a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>There were 27 participants with short cervix and 195 with normal cervical length. Of the 637 metabolites detected, 26 differed between those with short cervix and normal cervical lengths; 22 were decreased, of which 21 belonged to the lipid metabolism pathway (all P&lt;7.85E-5). Diethanolamine, erythritol, progesterone and mannitol/sorbitol were increased in cases of short cervix. Among participants with a Lactobacillus-deficient microbiota, only diethanolamine and mannitol/sorbitol differed between short cervix (n=17) and normal cervical length (n=75), both increased.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Short cervix is associated with decreased cervicovaginal lipid metabolites, particularly sphingolipids. This class of lipids stabilizes cell membranes and protects against environmental exposures. Increased diethanolamine, an immunostimulatory xenobiotic, is associated with short cervix. These observations begin to identify potential mechanisms by which modifiable environmental factors may invoke cell damage in the setting of biologic vulnerability, thus promoting premature cervical remodeling in spontaneous preterm birth.</p>

10.1016/j.ajog.2022.04.031

Am J Obstet Gynecol

35469813

A non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota in pregnancy is associated with a distinct metabolomic signature among non-Hispanic Black individuals.

2021

22794

2021 Nov 23

2045-2322

<p>Biomechanical and molecular processes of premature cervical remodeling preceding spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) likely result from interactions between the cervicovaginal microbiota and host immune responses. A non-optimal cervicovaginal microbiota confers increased risk of sPTB. The cervicovaginal space is metabolically active in pregancy; microbiota can produce, modify, and degrade metabolites within this ecosystem. We establish that cervicovaginal metabolomic output clusters by microbial community in pregnancy among Black individuals, revealing increased metabolism within the amino acid and dipeptide pathways as hallmarks of a non-optimal microbiota. Few differences were detected in metabolomic profiles when stratified by birth outcome. The study raises the possibility that metabolites could distinguish women with greater risk of sPTB among those with similar cervicovaginal microbiota, and that metabolites within the amino acid and carbohydrate pathways may play a role in this distinction.</p>

10.1038/s41598-021-02304-0

Sci Rep

34815499

Disparities in SARS-CoV-2 positivity among pregnant patients with limited English proficiency.

2021

2021 Sep 08

1476-5543

10.1038/s41372-021-01148-w

J Perinatol

34497337

Association between Low Urban Neighborhood Greenness and Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.

2021

2021 Aug 27

1098-8785

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong> Urban neighborhood greenness is associated with greater cardiovascular health in the general population, and with better pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Hypertension in pregnancy is a leading cause of maternal mortality and long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in women. We sought to examine the association between greenness and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.</p>

<p><strong>STUDY DESIGN: </strong> This study is a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 1,943 women who received prenatal care from December 2013 to December 2016 at a single, urban, and tertiary academic medical center in Philadelphia, PA. Greenness measure was quantified via residential tree canopy cover within circumferential buffers of 100- and 500-meter radii around participants' homes. Associations between greenness and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (defined as gestational hypertension or preeclampsia) were estimated by using multilevel logistic regression accounting for maternal sociodemographic information (race-ethnicity, insurance status, and age) medical history (diabetes, body mass index, smoking history, and parity), neighborhood deprivation index, and including 1,225 Philadelphia residents for whom key exposure and outcome data were available.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong> At baseline, the participants' mean (SD) age was 27.5 (5.9) years, (range: 14-44 years). The majority of participants were non-Hispanic Black (857, 70.2%). Participants with less residential tree canopy cover were significantly more likely to have hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among participants with less than 10% compared with those with greater than 30% tree canopy cover was 2.14 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.11-4.15) within 100-meter buffer.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong> In our cohort, greenness was associated with lower hypertensive disorders of pregnancy odds. Our findings add to evidence that greenness may confer health benefits and warrant further investigations in identifying whether there is a causal pathway through which greenness may be protective against hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.</p>

<p><strong>KEY POINTS: </strong>· Low residential tree canopy is associated with increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. · 100-meter buffers are most sensitive in identifying associations between tree canopy and HDP risk. · The role of greenness against hypertensive disorders of pregnancy should be further studied experimentally.</p>

10.1055/s-0041-1733786

Am J Perinatol

34450673

Maternal perceived stress and the increased risk of preterm birth in a majority non-Hispanic Black pregnancy cohort.

2021

2021 Aug 16

1476-5543

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>To determine whether perceived stress is associated with preterm birth (PTB) and to investigate racial differences in stress and PTB.</p>

<p><strong>STUDY DESIGN: </strong>A secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of 1911 women with singleton pregnancies examined responses to psychosocial stress questionnaires at 16-20 weeks of gestation.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>High perceived stress (19%) and PTB (10.8%) were prevalent in our sample (62% non-Hispanic Black). Women with PTB were more likely to be Black, have chronic hypertension (cHTN), pregestational diabetes, and higher BMI. Women with high perceived stress had more PTBs than those with lower stress (15.2% vs. 9.8%), and stress was associated with higher odds of PTB (aOR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.09-2.19).</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>The significant association between high perceived stress and PTB suggests that prenatal interventions to reduce maternal stress could improve the mental health of pregnant women and may result in reduced rates of PTB.</p>

10.1038/s41372-021-01186-4

J Perinatol

34400775

Urban residential tree canopy and perceived stress among pregnant women.

2021

111620

2021 Jul 01

1096-0953

<p><strong>OBJECTIVE: </strong>To examine the association of urban residential tree canopy cover with perceived stress in a cohort of pregnant women in Philadelphia, PA, and explore whether this association differed among participants with a history of anxiety and depression.</p>

<p><strong>STUDY DESIGN: </strong>We performed a secondary analysis of 1294 participants of the Motherhood &amp; Microbiome (M&amp;M) pregnancy cohort who lived in Philadelphia, with first visit perceived stress (Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale, PSS-14), and key covariate data. Tree canopy cover was calculated as percent cover within 100 and 500&nbsp;m radii buffers around participants' homes. We performed multilevel mixed effects linear regression models, with perceived stress as the dependent variable. The main independent variable was tree canopy coverage. Individual-level covariates included season of last menstrual period, history of depression or anxiety, race/ethnicity, insurance, parity, and age. Census tract neighborhood deprivation index was used to account for area-level socioeconomic confounding variables. We also examined whether a history of anxiety or depression, modified the association between tree canopy coverage and perceived stress.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Most participants were non-Hispanic Black (70.6%, n&nbsp;=&nbsp;913), on Medicaid or uninsured (60.4%, n&nbsp;=&nbsp;781), and 15.8% (n&nbsp;=&nbsp;204) of participants had a prior history of depression or anxiety. We did not detect associations between tree canopy coverage and perceived stress overall. However, we detected effect modification; among participants with a history of depression or anxiety, each standard deviation increase in tree canopy cover was associated with lower PSS-14 in 100&nbsp;m buffers (β -1.0, 95% CI -1.8, -0.2), but not among participants with no histories of depression or anxiety (β 0.2, 95% CI -0.3, 0.7) (interaction P&nbsp;=&nbsp;0.007). Results were similar in directionality but not statistically significant within 500&nbsp;m buffers.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSION: </strong>Residential tree canopy coverage was associated with reduced perceived stress among urban-dwelling pregnant women with history of anxiety or depression. Future studies of the effects of greenness and other stress-reducing efforts should consider underlying mental health conditions as effect modifiers.</p>

10.1016/j.envres.2021.111620

Environ Res

34216611