RESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to describe the maternal characteristics, pregnancy complications, and birth outcomes among a representative sample of Rhode Island women with disabilities who recently gave birth. METHODS: Data from the 2002-2011 Rhode Island Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey were analyzed. RESULTS: Approximately 7% of women in Rhode Island reported a disability. Women with disabilities reported significant disparities in their health care utilization, health behaviors, and health status before and during pregnancy and during the postpartum period. Compared with nondisabled women, they were significantly more likely to report stressful life events and medical complications during their most recent pregnancy, were less likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester, and more likely to have preterm births (13.4%; 95% CI, 11.6-15.6 compared with 8.9%; 95% CI, 8.5-9.3 for women without disabilities) and low-birth-weight babies (10.3%; 95% CI, 9.4-11.2 compared with 6.8%; 95% CI, 6.8-6.9). There was no difference in the rates of cesarean section between women with and without disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the need for clinicians providing care to pregnant women with disabilities to be aware of the increased risk for medical problems during pregnancy and factors that increase the risk for poor infant outcomes.
Asunto(s)
Personas con Discapacidad/estadística & datos numéricos , Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud , Estado de Salud , Complicaciones del Embarazo/epidemiología , Atención Prenatal/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto , Personas con Discapacidad/psicología , Femenino , Humanos , Recién Nacido de Bajo Peso , Acontecimientos que Cambian la Vida , Embarazo , Complicaciones del Embarazo/psicología , Resultado del Embarazo , Nacimiento Prematuro/epidemiología , Rhode Island , Medición de Riesgo , Asunción de Riesgos , Factores Socioeconómicos , Estrés Psicológico/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
Haiti's earthquake caused untold numbers of new disabilities across the age spectrum, from infants and children to elderly individuals. Amputations, spinal cord and brain injuries, complex multiple fractures, and other massive trauma will leave residual impairments, precipitating pressing needs at both the individual and societal levels. Short-term priorities include clinical stabilization, wound healing, and surgical revisions of suboptimal repairs. Afterward, in the near term, comprehensive rehabilitation must commence to ensure the best possible functional outcomes. Even before the earthquake struck, Haiti had few rehabilitation professionals and little capacity to manufacture essential assistive technologies, including prostheses and wheelchairs. While international organizations are assisting to fill these gaps, ultimately rehabilitation programs and assistive technologies will need to fit the specific demands of Haiti's culture and rugged natural physical environment. As Haiti rebuilds its public and private spaces, ensuring accessibility to persons with disabilities will be critical. Ultimately, one positive legacy of Haiti's earthquake could be the emergence of social attitudes, public policies, and physical environments that more fully accommodate disability across the life span.