NIH Grant to Improve Postpartum Care for Underserved Women

Principal Investigators: Kristine Merz and Lisa D Marceau, MPH

Underserved women are still disproportionately affected by maternal mortality and morbidity and there is a need to better understand their areas of greatest concern. Understanding these concerns provides the pathway to developing approaches that can reduce barriers for women, identify relevant postpartum challenges and get appropriate postpartum care. As an organization committed to solving the right problem from a human-centered perspective, Orange Square will develop a robust mobile tool for women who are in the postpartum period and are at increased health risks during this period.

Development grant objectives:

1) Gather input from key stakeholders, especially women in third and fourth trimesters, to inform the design, key content, and interactive technological components of the mobile program.

2) Develop a proof of concept which illustrates the content, approach, and direction of the postpartum care tool.

3) Seek input from women who are in, or have recently been through the postpartum period to test the tool for feasibility, and to identify areas for revision before building the complete tool.

Why is this important?

In the United States, the postpartum period is a critical time for both maternal and child health, yet the mortality rate remains stubbornly high amongst other developed, high-income countries. More than half of all maternal deaths occur postpartum from one day to one year after birth, many of which are avoidable, and leave a gaping hole for newborns and their families. Even more troubling is that this poor outcome is linked to racial and ethnic disparities that disproportionately affect black women, who are 3-4 times more likely to experience maternal mortality than white women.

Recognizing the importance of the postpartum period, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists identified this period as the ‘fourth trimester’. This focus marks the time following the birth of the infant through the first 3-months postpartum, thereby establishing a similar weight to this period as with the first three trimesters. The recognition of this as a formal period for women giving birth raises awareness of the challenges immediately following birth but action is still required to address these challenges. Holistically bridging the gap for underserved women by addressing the physical, cultural, and knowledge barriers that exist can improve access to quality postpartum care and lead to better patient outcomes.

This project is supported by the National Institute On Minority Health And Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43MD014923. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.