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Background: Peripartum antibiotics are commonly administered. Little is known of the attitudes of pregnant women toward peripartum antibiotics. Aim: We aimed to assess the awareness of and attitudes toward peripartum antibiotic use in Australian women. Materials and Methods: We surveyed post‐partum women at three hospitals over six months. Women reported if they received antibiotics 48 h either side of delivery and responded to statements assessing attitudes to peripartum antibiotic use. Administered antibiotics were recorded. We reported the proportion receiving antibiotics and the proportion aware of receiving them. Participants responded on five‐point Likert scales and selected side effects of concern. Results: Participants responding were 248 of 299 (83%, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital), 56 of 106 (53%, Caboolture Hospital) and 17 (Redcliffe Hospital, denominator not recorded). Of 183 (57%) receiving antibiotics, 134 (73%) received them pre‐delivery only, 18 (10%) post‐delivery only and 31 (17%) pre‐ and post‐delivery. Pre‐delivery, the most common indication was pre‐incisional prophylaxis for caesarean delivery (93 of 160 responses, 58%). Seventy‐nine (51%, 156 responses) of those receiving pre‐delivery antibiotics were aware. Of 49 women receiving post‐delivery antibiotics, 36 (73%) were aware. Most agreed they were worried that pre‐delivery antibiotics would affect their baby (198, 62%) and 160 (50%) were concerned about effects on their own microbiome. Most (204, 65%) agreed they would rather not take antibiotics while breastfeeding. Conclusion: Many women were unaware of receiving pre‐delivery antibiotics. Most had concerns about side effects. Improved communication regarding peripartum antibiotic use would improve patient‐centred care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe maternal morbidity (SMM) occurs in 1–2% of pregnancies. Despite the knowledge that a SMM event can contribute to poor fetal/neonatal outcomes, little is known about the preventability of these adverse outcomes. Aims: To examine adverse fetal/neonatal outcomes associated with SMM to determine if these outcomes were potentially preventable. Materials and Methods: A New Zealand national retrospective cohort study examining cases of SMM with an adverse fetal/neonatal outcome. Maternity and initial neonatal care were explored by multidisciplinary panels utilising a preventability tool to assess whether the fetal/neonatal harm was potentially preventable. Adverse fetal/neonatal outcomes were defined as fetal or early neonatal death, Apgar score <7 at five minutes, admission to neonatal intensive care unit or special care baby unit and neonatal encephalopathy. Results: Of 85 cases reviewed, adverse fetal/neonatal outcome was deemed potentially preventable in 55.3% of cases (n = 47/85). Preventability was related to maternal antenatal/peripartum care (in utero) in 39% (n = 33/85), to initial neonatal care (ex utero) in 36% (n = 29/80), and to both maternal and neonatal care in 20% (16/80) of cases. Main contributors to potential preventability were factors related to healthcare providers, particularly lack of recognition of high risk, delayed or failure to diagnose, and delayed or inappropriate treatment. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary panels found that over half of adverse fetal/neonatal harm associated with SMM was potentially preventable. The novel approach of examining both maternal and neonatal care identifies opportunities to improve fetal/neonatal outcomes associated with SMM at multiple points on the perinatal continuum of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]