Experiences of Women of Short Stature During the Perinatal Period

Abstract

Objective: To explore the experiences of women of short stature, including women with dwarfism and osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), during the perinatal period. Design: Qualitative descriptive. Setting: Telephone interviews with women of short stature from across the United States. Participants: Nine women of short stature, including five with dwarfism and four with osteogenesis imperfecta, between the ages of 18 and 55 years who gave birth within the last 10 years. Methods: We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze interview data. Results: Four themes represented the participants’ experiences during maternity care: Clinicians’ Lack of Knowledge, Sources of Information and Emotional Support, Clinical Considerations: Effects of Pregnancy and Disability, and Accessibility Barriers and Adaptations. Participants experienced respiratory difficulties and preterm birth. They expressed concerns regarding the lack of clinician knowledge and experience in administering epidural anesthesia to women of short stature and highlighted the important role of disability organizations in disseminating information about childbirth for women with disabilities. Conclusion: Childbearing women of short stature require disability-specific maternity care. Our findings highlight the need for disability education programs for nurse-midwives, nurses, physicians, and other clinicians who provide maternity care to women of short stature.