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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in health care in the perinatal period and women's childbirth experiences. Organizations that represent health care professionals have responded with general practice guidelines for pregnant women, but limited attention has been devoted to mental health in the perinatal period during a pandemic. Evidence suggests that in this context, significant psychological distress may have the potential for long-term psychological harm for mothers and infants. For infants, this risk may extend into early childhood. In this commentary, we present recommendations for practice, research, and policy related to mental health in the perinatal period. These recommendations include the use of a trauma-informed framework to promote social support and infant attachment, use of technology and telehealth, and assessment for mental health needs and experiences of violence.

Objective To describe how participation in the Sigma Theta Tau International Maternal-Child Health Nurse Leadership Academy positioned the authors to lead an interdisciplinary team through implementation and evaluation of a change project related to patient education based upon national health literacy standards. The project goal was to improve patient satisfaction with nurse communication and preparation for hospital discharge. Design Quality improvement. Setting/Participants Mother/-baby unit of an academic medical center serving a high percentage of patients of a minority population and underserved clients. Intervention The five- step intervention included (a) review of current health literacy standards, (b) formation of an infrastructure for development and evaluation of existing patient education materials, (c) assessment of patient education materials currently in use, (d) assessment of literacy level and learning styles of new mothers, and (e) provision of continuing education to increase knowledge of nurses as patient teachers and of health literacy. Measurement Mean scores of Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) in the domains of patient satisfaction with nurse communication and discharge information were used to measure patient satisfaction with health communication. Results Patient satisfaction with nurse communication increased from 75.9% to 84.6%. Satisfaction with discharge information increased from 84.6% to 98.6%. Conclusion The leadership academy successfully positioned the authors to guide an interdisciplinary team through development of a process to meet the education and communication needs of patients and improve their health literacy As a result, a positive effect was noted on patient satisfaction with health communication.

The ecological model is used as a framework for applying social justice concepts to the care of childbearing women and families. In this model, the environment of childbearing women has 3 distinct levels: macrosystem, mesosystem, and microsystem. Two scenarios are described and examples of nursing actions to promote social justice at each level are provided. This article demonstrates how maternal/infant nursing practice can be expanded to promote health equities, social justice, and support.

As a rule, mothers are the primary caregivers of infants regardless of employment or marital status. Thus, any factors that impact mothering affect the infant and have public health significance. National attention is now focused on postpartum depression, a major variable affecting mothering. The impact of postpartum depression on the various components of the maternal role is described. Recommendations for health care practice include screening for depression across the first postpartum year and developing a strong network for mental health referrals.

The rate of maternal mortality is rising in the United States, and patient education is key to help women recognize signs and symptoms of complications of pregnancy. Health care providers should always ask a woman of childbearing age if she has experienced a recent pregnancy or birth, and women should remind health care providers at every encounter of a pregnancy or birth during the past year. It may make the difference between life and death.