Study: Up to 40% of pregnancy complications would be missed without postpartum care

A Canadian study found up to 40% of pregnancy complications would have gone undetected without following a new mother for six weeks after delivery. Published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the researchers reviewed nearly 1.1 million births from 20 weeks’ gestation in Ontario between April 2012 and March 2021. The severe complication rate was slightly more than 27 per 1,000 births. Sepsis accounted for half of all complications following delivery. About 16% of complications occurred in the prenatal phase, 55% during labor and delivery and 29% in the six weeks following birth. The researchers call for postpartum home monitoring, including heart rate and blood pressure, for mothers at increased risk for sepsis. They add that expanding public health nurse home visit programs could address care gaps. (HealthDay article, 3/17/26)