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Maternal and neonatal outcomes among incarcerated women who gave birth in custody
Author(s) -
Shlafer Rebecca,
Saunders Jennifer B.,
Boraas Christy M.,
Kozhimannil Katy B.,
Mazumder Narayana,
Freese Rebecca
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
birth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.233
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1523-536X
pISSN - 0730-7659
DOI - 10.1111/birt.12524
Subject(s) - child custody , psychology , medicine , obstetrics , developmental psychology , criminology
Background In the United States, the population of incarcerated women has increased by more than 600% since the 1980s. With this rise, correctional facilities have faced new challenges meeting the health care needs of women, especially those who are pregnant. This retrospective cohort study sought to describe five indicators of maternal and neonatal health among women who gave birth in custody, and to compare outcomes among incarcerated women who did and did not receive enhanced pregnancy support. Methods We used deidentified electronic health records (EHRs) to examine maternal and neonatal birth outcomes (ie, mode of birth, low birthweight, preterm birth, APGAR score, NICU admission) among women who gave birth in custody. Regression models examined differences in outcomes between women who received enhanced pregnancy support—group prenatal education and one‐on‐one doula visits—and a historical control group of women who received standard prenatal care. Results Adverse maternal and neonatal birth outcomes in this sample were rare. No differences in outcomes were found between incarcerated women who received enhanced pregnancy support and the historical control group. Conclusions Despite evidence for the benefits of enhanced pregnancy support in the general population, this study did not find differences in outcomes between incarcerated women who did and did not receive support. Integrated data from prison and hospital records are innovative, but effect measurement is limited by sample size. Future research should include primary data collection on maternal, neonatal, and dyadic outcomes longitudinally and across prisons.