This full-colour book provides midwives with highly practical, readily accessible information on the wide range of infections affecting pregnancy and childbirth. It comprehensively outlines the vital role of the midwife in infection, including prevention, identification of high-risk individuals, educational opportunities, signs and symptoms, sample

Background: Postpartum infections are a major cause of maternal mortality and morbidity worldwide. Breast infection, endometritis, urinary tract infection and wound infections are the most common postpartum infections and together they affect almost 20% of women after childbirth. Some risk factors for postpartum infections, for example cesarean section, have been relatively well studied, but other presumable risk factors are yet to be confirmed. The proportion of pregnant women who are overweight or obese is increasing in most parts of the world. Increased maternal body mass index (BMI) is associated with maternal and infant morbidity. The association between overweight / obesity and postpartum infections is incompletely understood. Vitamin D deficiency has in epidemiological studies been shown to increase the risk of various infections. Furthermore, vitamin D is an important factor in the human immune system. Concomitantly, vitamin D supplementation seems protective against some types of infections. Whether vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for postpartum infections has not been studied. Material and Methods: In a population-based observational study using questionnaires, the prevalences of postpartum wound infections, endometritis, urinary tract infections and mastitis in the southeast region of Sweden were estimated (Paper I). All women giving birth in the region during one year (n=11 124) were asked to participate. Papers II and III were cohort studies based on all deliveries in Sweden during eight years (2005-2012). Data sources were the Swedish Medical Birth Register, the Swedish National Patient Register and the Swedish Prescribed Drugs Register. In paper II all term deliveries were included (n=795 072). Risk factors for postpartum wound infections, endometritis and urinary tract infection were evaluated. Paper III included all deliveries (n=841 780) and examined the impact of BMI on the risk of postpartum wound infections, endometritis and breast abscess after different modes of delivery. Infections were defined as the presence of applicable ICD-10 codes. The Mantel-Haenszel technique was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios. In paper IV the association between vitamin D deficiency and overall postpartum infectious morbidity was analyzed. Serum samples from the Pregnancy Biobank in Linköping, drawn at the time of delivery, were used to determine concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 1397 women. ICD-10 codes were extracted from the women’s medical records. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was calculated and adjusted odds ratios for postpartum infections were estimated with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: More than one out of ten women in southeast Sweden reported wound infections; endometritis, urinary tract infection or mastitis postpartum and 7.5% reported antibiotic treatment for infection. Cesarean section was the strongest risk factor for wound infection, followed by obstetric anal sphincter injuries and episiotomy. For endometritis, the strongest risk factors were anemia, manual placental removal and emergency cesarean section. Urinary tract infection was associated with anemia, instrumental vaginal delivery and emergency cesarean section. There was a dose-dependent increased risk of postpartum infection with higher BMI. For morbidly obese women the risk of infection was over 50% higher than for normal weight women. The risk of endometritis after normal vaginal delivery increased the higher the BMI, as did the risk of wound infection after cesarean section, regardless of the type of cesarean section. For breast abscess, there was an inverse association with BMI. Vitamin D deficiency was present among almost 60% of pregnant women at the time of delivery. No association between vitamin D deficiency and postpartum infections was found. Conclusions: Every tenth Swedish woman acquired an infection postpartum and three quarters of them received antibiotics for infection. Anemia was an important risk factor for postpartum infection, and the strongest risk factor for endometritis and urinary tract infection. Strong efforts should be made to reduce blood loss during and after childbirth. This thesis confirmed cesarean section as a major risk factor for postpartum infection, especially wound infection. The risk increased if the woman was overweight or obese, regardless of whether it was a planned or an emergency cesarean section. Vitamin D deficiency was common among Swedish pregnant women, but it was not found to be associated with postpartum infections.

The delivery of high quality and equitable care for both mothers and newborns is complex and requires efforts across many sectors. The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world, yet outcomes are worse than other high-resource countries, and even worse for Black and Native American women. There are a variety of factors that influence childbirth, including social determinants such as income, educational levels, access to care, financing, transportation, structural racism and geographic variability in birth settings. It is important to reevaluate the United States' approach to maternal and newborn care through the lens of these factors across multiple disciplines. Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States, the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth, birth settings research, and access to and choice of birth settings.

The goal of the present guideline is to consolidate guidance for effective interventions that are needed to reduce the global burden of maternal infections and its complications around the time of childbirth. This forms part of WHO's efforts towards improving the quality of care for leading causes of maternal death especially those clustered around the time of childbirth in the post-MDG era. Specifically it presents evidence-based recommendations on interventions for preventing and treating genital tract infections during labour childbirth or puerperium with the aim of improving outcomes for both mothers and newborns. The primary audience for this guideline is health professionals who are responsible for developing national and local health protocols and policies as well as managers of maternal and child health programmes and policy-makers in all settings. The guideline will also be useful to those directly providing care to pregnant women including obstetricians midwives nurses and general practitioners. The information in this guideline will be useful for developing job aids and tools for both pre- and inservice training of health workers to enhance their delivery of care to prevent and treat maternal peripartum infections.

Provides effective diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in pregnant women in a single comprehensive available resource for busy clinicians.

The evaluation of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) by the Disease Control Priorities, Third Edition (DCP3) focuses on maternal conditions, childhood illness, and malnutrition. Specifically, the chapters address acute illness and undernutrition in children, principally under age 5. It also covers maternal mortality, morbidity, stillbirth, and influences to pregnancy and pre-pregnancy. Volume 3 focuses on developments since the publication of DCP2 and will also include the transition to older childhood, in particular, the overlap and commonality with the child development volume. The DCP3 evaluation of these conditions produced three key findings: 1. There is significant difficulty in measuring the burden of key conditions such as unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, nonsexually transmitted infections, infertility, and violence against women. 2. Investments in the continuum of care can have significant returns for improved and equitable access, health, poverty, and health systems. 3. There is a large difference in how RMNCH conditions affect different income groups; investments in RMNCH can lessen the disparity in terms of both health and financial risk.

This book is a complete guide to the diagnosis and management of any infectious disease which may affect the mother or the fetus during pregnancy. Pregnancy is a unique condition in which the interplay of endocrine and immune influences leads to altered severity and susceptibility to infectious diseases. These infections, in turn, are a substantial cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity. The book discusses the immunologic, clinical and epidemiologic evidence for altered responses during pregnancy. Several infections have unique consequences in pregnancy. Some infections have vertical transmission, and their management focuses on decreasing perinatal transmission. Others can be transmitted transplacentally and cause congenital infection. While still, other common infections like gastroenteritis, UTI, tuberculosis, leprosy or certain dermatological and oral conditions can cause pregnancy complications. This book discusses all such diseases in detail as well as suggests means for early identification and appropriate treatment for them. A separate chapter adequately covers the novel coronavirus infection associated with management challenges in pregnant women. The book includes dedicated sections on postpartum infections and fetal outcomes associated with maternal infections. It reviews strategies to prevent infection in obstetrics that plays a key role in decreasing the global burden of maternal morbidity and mortality. The book is relevant for practicing obstetricians and gynecologists, post-graduate students of obstetrics and gynecology as well as general practitioners, family medicine specialists, primary health care workers and undergraduate medical students.