Continuity Beyond Delivery: A Family Medicine Approach to Racial and Ethnic Equity in Postpartum Care

This narrative review examines interventions to improve postpartum care continuity, reduce disparities, and advance maternal health equity, emphasizing structured follow-up, care coordination, and family medicine integration. The postpartum period, often called the “fourth trimester,” should connect recovery with lifelong health. However, many women, particularly those from racially and ethnically minoritized populations, encounter missed screenings, inadequate support, and structural barriers that increase their risk of adverse maternal outcomes. Electronic searches of PubMed and Google Scholar were conducted from October 27 through November 7, 2025, using combinations of “postpartum care,” “family medicine integration,” “racial and ethnic disparities,” “health equity,” and “fourth trimester.” Peer-reviewed, English-language studies evaluating postpartum interventions among adult women were included. Findings suggest that integrating family medicine with community-based programs, proactive scheduling, and digital health solutions may improve continuity, reduce disparities, and support maternal well-being. Personalized care plans, culturally responsive education, and consistent patient-provider communication may also strengthen trust, follow-up adherence, and long-term health management. Nevertheless, persistent gaps emphasize the need for policy reform, scalable culturally tailored interventions, and longitudinal research. A comprehensive, family medicine-centered approach can bridge fragmented postpartum services and ongoing primary care, improve monitoring and chronic disease management, and support more equitable outcomes. Prioritizing continuity beyond a single postpartum visit is essential to addressing systemic barriers and improving long-term health among historically underserved women.