Outcomes of surrogate pregnancies in California and hospital economics of surrogate maternity and newborn care

AIM:To describe maternity and newborn charges for an economic analysis of surrogate pregnancies on the health care resource utilization.METHODS:A retrospective chart review of all women identified as being surrogates and the infants born from these pregnancies was performed between January 1,2012 and December 31,2013.Selected maternity diagnoses,mode of delivery,duration of hospitalization,and hospital charges were collected together with infants' birth weights,gestational age,length of hospital stay,and hospital charges.Charges associated with the in vitro fertilization cycles,artificial insemination,or embryo(s)transfer into the surrogate were not considered in the maternity charges.A ratio contrasting the maternity hospital charges for the surrogate carrier was compared as a ratio to the mean charges for 2540 infants delivered in 2013 after naturalconception and adjusted to the baseline hospital charges for both maternity and newborn care.RESULTS:Analysis of sixty-nine infants delivered from both gestational and traditional surrogate women found an increased in multiple births,NICU admission,and length of stay with hospital charges several multiples beyond that of a term infant conceived naturally and provided care in our nursery.Among singletons and twins(per infant)hospital charges were increased 26 times(P < 0.001)and in triplets charges were increased 173 times(P < 0.0001)when compared to a term infant provided care in a normal nursery at our center.CONCLUSION:Maternity costs for surrogates exceed those of women who conceive naturally,and these costs are especially magnified in women with triplets and multiple births.

The COVID-19 Vaccines Evaluation Program:Implementation,Management,and Experiences,2021-2023

In 2021,China’s domestically produced coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)vaccines received approval from regulatory bodies and were administered worldwide.Due to a low number of infections within China during that period,it became imperative to evaluate the vaccines’real-world effectiveness through international studies.To facilitate this,China CDC launched the COVID-19 Vaccines Evaluation Program(COVEP).This program formed research collaboration agreements with health institutes across five World Health Organization regions,addressing key questions about vaccine performance through ten cooperative agreements.The findings from COVEP projects reinforced confidence,both domestically and globally,in the effectiveness of the vaccines produced in China.Moreover,the outcomes observed internationally were frequently mirrored by later studies conducted within China.COVEP thus pioneered a novel approach for fostering cross-national research collaborations,addressing significant public health issues and exemplifying a framework for international cooperation.This approach is in line with the strategic objectives and other development efforts of China CDC’s national disease control and prevention initiatives.