Pregnant Inmates: Risk Factors and Pregnancy Outcomes

Abstract

Objective: To document the risk factors and outcomes of pregnant women incarcerated in a maximum‐security prison. Design: Descriptive correlational study. Setting: Women's correctional facility. Participants: Eighty‐nine pregnant women incarcerated during the third trimester of pregnancy. Main Outcome Measures: Medical, obstetric, life‐style, and psychologic risk factors during pregnancy; birth weight; weeks of gestation at delivery; and presence of congenital anomalies in the newborn. Results: Numerous risk factors during pregnancy, including chemical dependency, poor nutritional status, poor obstetric histories, high levels of anxiety and depression, and inadequate prenatal care. Conclusions: There is a need for intensive prenatal education for incarcerated women and for chemical dependency treatment programs designed specifically for incarcerated pregnant women. Interventions that address psychologic distress also are needed. Copyright © 1993, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved