Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes of women with disabilities: a nationwide population-based study in South Korea

• Published in: Scientific reports 2020-06, Vol.10 (1), p.9200-9200, Article 9200
• Main Authors: Shin, Jae Eun, Cho, Geum Joon, Bak, Seongeun, Won, Sang Eun, Han, Sung Won, Bin Lee, Soo, Oh, Min-Jeong, Kim, Sa Jin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/308/174; 692/308/409; Cesarean section; Cesarean Section - statistics & numerical data; Disabilities; Disability; Disabled Persons; Female; Health risk assessment; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hypertension - epidemiology; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Intellectual disabilities; Medical screening; multidisciplinary; Neonates; Placenta; Placenta Previa - epidemiology; Population studies; Population Surveillance; Population-based studies; Pregnancy; Pregnancy complications; Pregnancy Complications - epidemiology; Pregnancy Outcome; Premature birth; Republic of Korea - epidemiology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Severity of Illness Index; Stillbirth - epidemiology; Trends; Womens health
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66181-9

We investigated (1) pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in women with and without disabilities, (2) time trends in deliveries, and (3) risks of pregnancy and neonatal complications among women with various disability types and severity. This was a nationwide population-based study merging the database of the Korea National Health Insurance claims, National Health Screening Program for Infants and Children, and Disability Registration System to compare perinatal outcomes in women with and without disabilities. Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were analyzed during 2007 and 2015, as were time trends of deliveries. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate risk of perinatal outcomes among women with various disability types and severities. Women with disabilities showed higher rates of cesarean section (aOR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.69–1.77), hypertensive disorders (aOR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.63–1.86), placenta abruption (aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12–1.45), placenta previa (aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.05–1.24), stillbirths (aOR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.17–1.45), preterm births (aOR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.57–1.78), and LBW (aOR, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.78–1.97) than those without disabilities. From 2007 to 2015, although delivery rate in women with disabilities decreased steeply compared with that in women without disabilities, the rate of cesarean section increased in women with disabilities. Women with intellectual disability and those with vision impairment had the highest number of perinatal complications among women with various types of disabilities. Women with disability had more adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes than those without disabilities. Specific disability types & severities are more vulnerable to specific perinatal complications.