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Objectives This study examined the risk of postpartum hospital admissions and emergency department (ED) visits among US women with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Methods We used the 2002-2012 Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal Data System and identified deliveries to women with and without IDD. Women with IDD (n = 1104) or case subjects were identified from the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 9th Revision (ICD-9 CM) codes. The study primary outcome measures were any postpartum hospital admission and any ED visit during three critical postpartum periods (1-42, 43-90, and 1-365 days). We conducted unadjusted and adjusted survival analysis using Cox proportional hazard models to compare the occurrence of first hospital admission or ED visits between women with and without IDD. Results We found that women with IDD had markedly higher rates of postpartum hospital admissions and ED visits during the critical postpartum periods (within 1-42, 43-90, and 91-365 days) after a childbirth. Conclusion for Practice Given the heightened risk of pregnancy complications and adverse birth outcomes and the findings of this study, there is an urgent need for clinical guidelines related to the frequency and timing of postpartum care among new mothers with IDD. Further, this study provides evidence of the need for evidence-based interventions for new mothers with IDD to provide preventive care and routine assessments that would identify and manage complications for both the mother and the infant outside of the traditional postpartum health care framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Being deaf or hard of hearing can be marginalizing and associated with inequitable health outcomes. Until recently, there were no U.S. population-based studies of pregnancy outcomes among deaf or hard of hearing women. In light of inconsistent findings in the limited available literature, this study sought to conduct a more rigorous study using population-based, longitudinal linked data to compare pregnancy complications, birth characteristics, and neonatal outcomes between deaf or hard of hearing and non-deaf or hard of hearing women.Methods: Researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study in 2019 using the Massachusetts Pregnancy to Early Life Longitudinal data system. This system links all Massachusetts birth certificates, fetal death reports, and delivery- and nondelivery-related hospital discharge records for all infants and their mothers. The study included women with singleton deliveries who gave birth in Massachusetts between January 1998 and December 2013.Results: The deaf or hard of hearing women had an increased risk of chronic medical conditions and pregnancy complications including pre-existing diabetes, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, and placental abruption. Deliveries to deaf or hard of hearing women were significantly associated with adverse birth outcomes, including preterm birth, low birth weight or very low weight, and low 1-minute Apgar score or low 5-minute Apgar score. No significant differences were found in size for gestational age, fetal distress, or stillbirth among deaf or hard of hearing women.Conclusions: Findings from this 2019 study indicate that deaf or hard of hearing women are at a heightened risk for chronic conditions, pregnancy-related complications, and adverse birth outcomes and underscore the need for systematic investigation of the pregnancy- and neonatal-related risks, complications, costs, mechanisms, and outcomes of deaf or hard of hearing women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]