ReviewPloS one2024
Postpartum versus postnatal period: Do the name and duration matter?
Review in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Body composition changes in the postpartum: a systematic review on measurements and predictors.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Pooled it
- Women's perceptions of urinary incontinence during the postpartum period: systematic review of qualitative evidence.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Pooled it
- The Effect of Lactobacillus Acidophilus (La5) on the Incidence of Urinary Tract Infection in the Puerperium: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins · 2026Trial
- Sexual health after childbirth: a qualitative study of women's experiences.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Reproductive health care experiences and rights of displaced Afghan women, and intersecting factors influencing outcomes: a scoping review.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Temporal-spatial trends in childbirth in Ontario, Canada.PloS one · 2026Article
- Postpartum anemia and associated factors among caesarean section women in West Gojjam zone Ethiopia 2023.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Exploring Physical Activity Engagement and Related Variables During Pregnancy and Postpartum and the Best Practices for Self-Report Physical Activity Postpartum.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Impact of Health Education Sessions on Mothers' Quality of Life in Postpartum Period: Results of a Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.Health science reports · 2025Article
- The emotional and social impact of COVID-19 on postpartum women: A qualitative analysis on the experiences of women who gave birth during the pandemic in New York City.Women's health (London, England)Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionGuidelines and other strategic documents were collated to understand the extent of the global use of terms postpartum and postnatal along with the duration and schedule of maternal care after delivery.
methodsPostpartum care guidelines and strategies published in English, by international organisations including the World Health Organization, and countries in either the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development or Group of 20 were included in this scoping review. All documents available online with unrestricted access and published before May 31, 2023, were included. The evolution of the World Health Organization's definition of the period after delivery for mothers and the changes in the schedule of routine maternal care following delivery over time were displayed pictorially. A summary table was then developed to present the level of similarities and differences in the latest available documents from the international organisations and countries belonging to either the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or the Group of 20.
resultsTen documents from the World Health Organization, one from the European Board, and 15 country-level guidelines from six countries met the inclusion criteria. The interchangeable use of 'postpartum' and 'postnatal' is common. While the World Health Organization mentions the definitive length (six weeks) of the postpartum/ postnatal period, it is not stated in documents from other organisations and countries. Additionally, the length and schedule of routine maternal care after delivery vary substantially between organisations/countries, spanning from six weeks to one year with two to six healthcare contacts, respectively.
conclusionThrough this review, we make a case for a universal harmonisation of the term postpartum when referring to mothers after delivery; add clarity to the documents on the rationale for and duration of the postpartum period; and extend the routine maternal care schedule after delivery to support women in this vulnerable period.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.