In the United States, about 60,000 women each year experience severe maternal morbidities, which are unanticipated complications during birth that can have short- and long-term effects on health.
A disproportionate number of adverse outcomes occur during the postpartum period following discharge, when access to care may be limited to non-obstetric settings.
That’s why Vandalia Health CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital recently implemented an initiative to help new moms.
The POST-BIRTH Warning Signs (PBWS) education program was created by the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Nurses at CAMC Women and Children’s Hospital now give each new mom a bracelet to wear letting healthcare providers (paramedics, doctors and nurses) know that they’ve given birth within the past year and may be experiencing postpartum complications.
The POST-BIRTH acronym emphasizes nine critical warning signs:
Pain in the chest
Obstructed breathing or shortness of breath
Seizures
Thoughts of self-harm
Bleeding
Incisional not healing
Redness in legs, pain or swelling
Temperature (high or low)
Headache that is persistent
These warning signs link directly with the leading causes of preventable maternal morbidity and mortality such as cardiovascular problems, hypertension, infections, blood clots, hemorrhage, depression and anxiety.
By linking warning signs to timely clinical recognition, intervention and escalation of care, PBWS promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and enhances maternal safety across a variety of clinical care settings.
For more information or a map of locations visit vandaliahealth.org.
