Journal article
Postpartum Care for Parents of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infants before and after Adoption of Telemedicine
American journal of perinatology, 8405212
05 Feb 2026
PMID: 41605455
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Objective Despite higher morbidity and mortality risks, parents of preterm infants miss postpartum visits more often than parents of full-term infants. Whether the introduction of telemedicine improved access to postpartum care among parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is unknown. We aimed to compare postpartum visit attendance and care comprehensiveness for NICU parents before and after the option of telemedicine. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of postpartum parents without a history of hypertension who gave birth <32 weeks at two Philadelphia hospitals. We compared care receipt before and after implementation of telemedicine (2019 and 2023, respectively). Individuals with hypertension were excluded due to eligibility for a remote, text-based blood pressure monitoring program during the study period. Through manual chart review, we ascertained postpartum visit attendance and documentation of three core care elements: depression screening, contraception counseling, and blood pressure measurement. Results The proportion of parents without postpartum visits was similar in 2019 (13/69, 18.8%) and in 2023 (7/45, 15.6%; p = 0.65). While telemedicine was not available in 2019, 42.1% (16/38) of postpartum visits in 2023 were conducted via telemedicine. In 2019 and 2023, the proportion of visits with missed depression screenings (10.7 vs. 0%, p = 0.08) and contraception counseling (0 vs. 18.4%, p = 0.001) were low. Missed blood pressure measurements increased significantly from 3.9% in 2019 to 36.8% in 2023 (p < 0.0001); all missed measurements were during telemedicine visits. Conclusion Despite the availability of telemedicine, approximately one in six NICU parents of preterm infants did not attend a postpartum visit. While telemedicine accounted for over one-third of visits in 2023, it was associated with gaps in essential care, specifically blood pressure measurements. Given the benefits of early detection and treatment for postpartum preeclampsia, supplementing telemedicine visits with in-person blood pressure measurements in NICUs may be warranted.
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Details
- Title
- Postpartum Care for Parents of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Infants before and after Adoption of Telemedicine
- Creators
- Esther A. Kwarteng - Drexel UniversityRachel F. Ledyard - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaKristan Scott - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaNiesha Darden - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaLaura Walker - Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaJennifer Lewey - University of PennsylvaniaMaggie E. Power - University of PennsylvaniaCeleste P. Durnwald - University of PennsylvaniaHeather H. Burris - Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- Publication Details
- American journal of perinatology, 8405212
- Publisher
- Thieme Medical Publishers
- Number of pages
- 4
- Grant note
- Summer Underrepresented in Medicine Medical Student Research (SUMMR) Program of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Medicine
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001681847900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105029491492
- Other Identifier
- 991022197016604721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Pediatrics