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Key Points Question Were there changes in pregnancy intentions among women who were mothers of young children around the peak of the first wave of COVID-19 in New York City? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 1179 women in New York City who were mothers of young children, nearly half of those who had been attempting to become pregnant and more than a third who had been thinking about trying before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped in the first few months of the outbreak. Women who responded to a survey during the lockdown were more likely to cease attempts or plans to become pregnant. Meaning The results of this study suggest that the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with fewer women planning or attempting to become pregnant; these findings may have long-term effects on fertility rates.

Objective Preterm birth is a leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Prevention strategies rarely focus on preconception care. We sought to create a preconception nomogram that identifies nonpregnant women at highest risk for preterm birth using the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) surveillance data. Methods We used PRAMS data from 2004 to 2009. The odds ratios (ORs) of preterm birth for each preconception variable was estimated and adjusted analyses were conducted. We created a validated nomogram predicting the probability of preterm birth using multivariate logistic regression coefficients. Results 192,208 cases met inclusion criteria. Demographic/maternal health characteristics and associations with preterm birth and ORs are reported. After validation, we identified the following significant predictors of preterm birth: prior history of preterm birth or low birth weight baby, prior spontaneous or elective abortion, maternal diabetes prior to conception, maternal race (e.g., non-Hispanic black), intention to get pregnant prior to conception (i.e., did not want or wanted it sooner), and smoking prior to conception (p < 0.05). Overall, our preconception preterm risk model correctly classified 76.1 % of preterm cases with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 76.7 %. A nomogram using a 0-100 scale illustrates our final preconception model for predicting preterm birth. Conclusion This preconception nomogram can be used by clinicians in multiple settings as a tool to help predict a woman's individual preterm birth risk and to triage high-risk non-pregnant women to preconception care. Future studies are needed to validate the nomogram in a clinical setting.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) primarily affects women of childbearing age and is commonly seen in pregnancy. The physiologic and immunologic changes of pregnancy may alter the course of SLE and impact maternal, fetal, and neonatal health. Multidisciplinary counseling before and during pregnancy from rheumatology, maternal fetal medicine, obstetrics, and pediatric cardiology is critical. Transplacental passage of autoantibodies, present in about 40% of women with SLE, can result in neonatal lupus (NL). NL can consist of usually permanent cardiac manifestations, including conduction system and myocardial disease, as well as transient cutaneous, hematologic, and hepatic manifestations. Additionally, women with SLE are more likely to develop adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and preterm birth, perhaps due to an underlying effect on placentation. This review describes the impact of SLE on maternal and fetal health by trimester, beginning with prepregnancy optimization of maternal health. This is followed by a discussion of NL and the current understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of anti‐Ro/La mediated cardiac disease, as well as screening, treatment, and methods for prevention. Finally discussed is the known increase in preeclampsia and fetal growth issues in women with SLE that can lead to iatrogenic preterm delivery.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in New York City, telehealth was rapidly implemented for obstetric patients. Though telehealth for prenatal care is safe and effective, significant concerns exist regarding equity in access among low-income populations. We performed a retrospective cohort study evaluating utilization of telehealth for prenatal care in a large academic practice in New York City, comparing women with public and private insurance. We found that patients with public insurance were less likely to have at least one telehealth visit than women with private insurance (60.9 vs. 87.3%, p < 0.001). After stratifying by borough, this difference remained significant in Brooklyn, one of the boroughs hardest hit by the pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to spread around the country, obstetric providers must work to ensure that all patients, particularly those with public insurance, have equal access to telehealth. Key Points