By Sarah Johanek, MPH
Policy Project Manager, 2020 Mom

Research shows that women with disabilities, including mental illness, have an increased risk for pregnancy complications. While most studies in the past examined the association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and inferred disabilities from diagnosis codes, a recent study included self-reported disability status data. This study found that 19.5% of participants who had given birth self-reported a disability, which is significantly higher than the U.S. prevalence estimated from diagnosis codes. This suggests that studies using diagnosis codes may be severely undercounting women with disabilities in the U.S. Additionally, the study found that those with disabilities had a 24% higher risk for preterm birth and a 29% higher risk for low birthweight, compared to those without disabilities. Including self-reported disability measures in future research is vital to providing a comprehensive review of disability associated disparities. This research shows that if someone has a positive screen for a Maternal Mental Health Disorder (MMHD), they are at a higher risk for pregnancy complications. Understanding this relationship is vital to prevention and mitigating the symptoms of MMHDs.