Incidence, prevalence, and timing of postpartum complications and mortality in Canada and the United States: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Objective: The goal of this systematic review is to assess the incidence, prevalence, and timing of common postpartum (up to 1 year after delivery) medical, surgical/procedural, and psychosocial complications and mortality. Introduction: Childbirth is the most common cause for hospitalization, and cesarean delivery is the most commonly performed inpatient surgery. After delivery, mothers are at risk of short- and long-term complications that can impact their well-being. The results of this review will inform evidence-based recommendations for patient education, monitoring, and follow-up. Inclusion criteria: We will include studies performed in Canada and/or the United States that report the incidence or prevalence of medical, procedural/surgical, and psychosocial complications within 1 year postpartum. Observational studies (analytical cross-sectional studies, retrospective and prospective cohorts), randomized or non-randomized controlled trials with a control or standard of care group, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses will be included. Studies with fewer than 100 patients, participants younger than 18 years, no reporting of duration, or focus on patients with a specific condition rather than a general postpartum population will be excluded. Methods: The search strategy was codeveloped with a medical librarian and included full-text English-language articles published within the past 10 years (2011-2021) in PubMed, CINHAL, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Screening, critical appraisal, and data extraction will be performed by two independent reviewers using Covidence, standardized JBI tools, and a standardized form, respectively. For each complication, the incidence or prevalence, timing of the frequency measurement, and duration of follow-up from individual studies will be determined. Meta-analysis will be performed if feasible. Systematic review registration number: PROSPERO CRD42022303047

Automated summary

The objective of this systematic review is to assess the incidence, prevalence, and timing of common postpartum complications and mortality. It aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for patient education, monitoring, and follow-up.