61: COVID-19 and the Fourth Trimester

Public Health Review

This episode highlights COVID-19’s impact on overdose-related deaths during the postpartum period, also known as the fourth trimester. There has been a significant increase in postpartum overdose-related deaths in recent years—a problem that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In this episode, Dr. Kristina Box (Indiana state health commissioner) discusses the topic from a state-level perspective. Dr. Mishka Terplan (medical director, Friends Research Institute) then shares an overview of the stigma this population faces, and what can be done to improve health outcomes for people with substance use disorder during the postpartum period. 

Guests:

• Kristina Box, MD, FACOG, Indiana State Health Commissioner
• Mishka Terplan, MD, MPH, FACOG, DFASAM, Friends Research Institute

Resources:

• Preventing Fatal Overdoses in Postpartum Populations
• Postpartum Depression: Expanding Screening Practices to Improve Outcomes
• Stigma Reinforces Barriers to Care for Pregnant and Postpartum Women with Substance Use Disorder