Risks for neonatal complications may be increased for newborns of women with disabilities, particularly those with an intellectual or developmental disability.
While rare in industrialized countries, maternal mortality rates since 1990 have increased in both the U.S. (from 10.0 to 17.3 deaths per 100,000 births) and Canada (7.6 to 11.0 deaths per 100,000 births). The same holds true for severe morbidity, which the authors defined either by disease-specific criteria, such as eclampsia; interventions, such as blood transfusion; or organ system dysfunction, such as heart failure.
“Studies showing that chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, are among the leading causes of such morbidity and mortality have led to significant preventive efforts for women with these conditions, including better preconception and perinatal care,” Brown and colleagues observed. “However, the association of maternal disability with these outcomes is relatively unknown.”