Guthrie Hospitals Distribute Bracelets to Help Identify New Mothers Who May Be Experiencing Postpartum Complications

October 22, 2026
A pair of bracelets sit on a table with a vase of flowers, a small teddy bear. In the background a mother nursing a baby in a maternity ward are visible but blurred.

Guthrie is pleased to announce a partnership with the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) to distribute post-birth alert bracelets to new mothers.  

The orange and red bands serve as an easily visible indicator to emergency personnel to screen for postpartum complications if a new mother seeks emergency medical services.  

Nine post-birth warning signs can be indicative of a more serious, life-threatening condition. These signs include fever, headache, stomach pain, vaginal bleeding and hyptertension. AWHONN encourages new mothers to seek medical care if they experience even one of those symptoms, as they may be the result of hypertension, preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhaging or wound infection.

AWHONN notes that new mothers with medical complications are most likely to seek emergency department care, and that almost half of those visits occur within the first 30 days following birth—though complications can still develop up to a year after labor. The durable silicone bracelets are meant to be worn for a minimum of 12 weeks, and up to 12 months, after giving birth.

“The AWHONN post-birth alert bracelets are such a simple, but incredibly effective, method to ensure focused, high-quality care when new mothers experience medical issues in the weeks or months following delivery,” said Juan Arreguin, MD, MS, MBA, FACOG, and Chair of Guthrie OB/GYN.

“The bracelets are a non-verbal indicator to attending medical personnel that their patient recently gave birth and that postpartum complications need to be at the top of their screening and care delivery priorities,” Dr. Arreguin added.  

Each bracelet displays a QR code that points to the Save Your Life section of the AWHONN website that contains valuable information for patients.  

Each birthing facility in the Guthrie system is participating in the partnership with AWHONN. These are: Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Guthrie Corning Hospital, Guthrie Cortland Medical Center and Guthrie Lourdes Hospital.