Negative pregnancy outcomes highly associated among incarcerated women

2. Women who were incarcerated were more likely to have a mental health problem, drug use disorder, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted illnesses than those who were not.

3. They were also more likely to smoke, utilize Medicaid, and be in the lowest income quartile.

4. Those with an imprisonment diagnosis had greater rates of non-transfusion, severe maternal morbidity, preterm birth, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage and abruption, and antepartum hemorrhage compared to women without an incarceration diagnosis.

5. Even after adjusting for other factors, the risks of having a preterm birth, as well as abruption and antepartum hemorrhage, were considerably greater among women who had been incarcerated.

In conclusion, this study's findings indicate a need for greater monitoring of pregnancy problems in this high-risk group, as well as changes in care quality and access.

Reference:

Logue, T. C., Wen, T., Staniczenko, A., Huang, Y., D'Alton, M. E., & Friedman, A. M. (2022). Delivery Hospitalizations among Incarcerated Women. In American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2022.03.057