Assessing the relationship between psychosocial risk and pregnancy outcomes using the perinatal integrated psychosocial assessment (PIPA) tool

Background The Perinatal Integrated Psychosocial Assessment (PIPA) tool screens for anxiety, depression, and psychosocial factors in pregnancy. We aimed to assess the association between PIPA-determined psychosocial risk and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Methods Cohort study of all pregnant women who gave birth at >= 20 weeks of gestation in 2017-2019 at a tertiary maternity hospital in, Sydney, Australia. Women completed PIPA at their first antenatal visit and were assigned a PIPA risk category. At-risk women were reviewed and referred for support. The association between PIPA risk category and obstetric and neonatal outcomes was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression adjusting for sociodemographic and pregnancy factors. Results In all, 5969 women completed PIPA; 71.4% were assessed no/low risk, 17.5% medium risk, and 11.1% medium-high/high risk. Compared with no/low-risk women, medium-high/high-risk women were more likely to remain in hospital for >72 hours (aOR 1.47 [95% CI 1.33-1.64]); to not be breastfeeding at discharge (aOR 1.77 [95% CI 1.20-2.61]); to have their infants experience birth complications (aOR 1.24 [95% CI 1.03-1.50]); and to be admitted to the NICU (aOR 1.63 [95% CI 1.26-2.11]). There was a modest increase in odds of cesarean birth (aOR 1.12 [95% CI 1.00-1.27]), and no association with preterm birth or low birthweight. The risk of adverse outcomes disappeared for medium-high/high-risk women referred for support. Conclusions The PIPA tool identified one in 10 women at high psychosocial risk with increased risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Adverse outcomes were attenuated for high-risk women who were referred for extra support, suggesting that psychosocial review and referral for high-risk women may reduce the risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Automated summary

The study examined the association between psychosocial risk assessed by the PIPA tool and obstetric and neonatal outcomes. High-risk women were more likely to have adverse outcomes such as longer hospital stays, non-breastfeeding at discharge, birth complications, and NICU admission. The risks of adverse outcomes disappeared for high-risk women who received extra support.