Consortium on Safe Labor

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute Of Child Health & Human Development

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

In the previous year, researchers investigated pregnancy outcomes in women with physical, intellectual, and sensory disability during pregnancy. Women with versus without disability were at higher risk of adverse outcomes including a broad range of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) and maternal mortality. Indications for cesarean delivery for women with disability were more likely for softer indications compared with true clinical indications for women without disability, supporting a possible overuse of cesarean delivery among women with disability. These findings support the systemic implementation of evidence-based obstetric practice and care processes shown to reduce SMM and maternal mortality. Furthermore, changes in the medical education system and other strategies are needed to help health care practitioners be more comfortable managing care for reproductive-age women with disabilities before and during pregnancy. (Gleason JL at al. JAMA Network Open, 2021) Collectively, this body of research continues to provide data useful for the ongoing development of clinical guidance regarding the management of contemporary pregnant women. The data is publicly available via the NICHD DASH website, https://dash.nichd.nih.gov/.