NCCHC - Pregnancy and Postpartum Care in Correctional Settings

Approximately 6% to 10% of incarcerated women are pregnant on any given day, and it is estimated that as many as 1,400 women per year give birth while in custody. Pregnant women have unique health care and psychosocial needs. Pregnancies of incarcerated women are often high risk due to poor nutrition, limited access to prenatal care, domestic violence, mental illness, and drug and alcohol dependence. Optimizing maternal health, providing prenatal care, addressing pregnant women’s symptoms in a timely manner, and referral to a specialist when indicated are important for ensuring a healthy maternal-fetal unit and healthy birth outcomes. Physiologic changes of pregnancy and additional nutritional needs require correctional facilities to modify standard custodial routines, such as supplying additional food, housing women in a lower bunk, and having light-duty work assignments.