Educational tools that address pregnancy‐related complications in the postpartum period: A scoping review

Abstract

Previous research provides evidence that the postpartum period is a crucial time for individuals who have just given birth to understand and engage in their health to mitigate current and future risks. The present study is a scoping review of research on educational tools that address pregnancy‐related complications for postpartum patients. We aimed to determine the extent to which these tools exist and how they have been studied among postpartum people. PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Embase were searched from inception to June 2025 to identify publications on patient‐facing educational tools for the postpartum period that focus on pregnancy‐related complications. Educational tools were evaluated for application to the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation (COM‐B) framework for health behavior change. Of 3216 records, 32 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 11 patient educational tools were accessible for analysis. Two reviewers independently screened and assessed the titles, abstracts, and full texts of identified articles for inclusion. These tools were delivered through a variety of media, including mobile applications and traditional written pamphlets. Topics of the tools included postpartum mental health, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, breastfeeding after a complicated pregnancy, and warning signs for postpartum morbidity and mortality. Enhancers to postpartum care were addressed more often in the educational tools than barriers to postpartum care. The educational tools most often covered the following facilitators of behavior change identified by the COM‐B framework: psychological capability, social opportunity, and reflective motivation. This scoping review highlights the limited availability of educational tools for postpartum care and recovery that address pregnancy‐related complications. Findings of this scoping review suggest that educational tools that address pregnancy‐related complications for postpartum patients were limited in topics covered, language availability, and diversity of postpartum populations tested. Further research is needed to expand the network of accessible postpartum educational tools and to assess the efficacy and acceptability of these educational tools in historically marginalized populations. Structuring these tools within a framework for behavior change such as COM‐B may be a useful method for better understanding and improving postpartum care engagement and access to educational resources.