Poorer women experience worse care during pregnancy, says study
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Version 0 of 1. Women in low-income groups experience worse care during pregnancy, with the most deprived being 60% less likely to have received any antenatal care when compared with the least deprived, according to a study. Researchers from Oxford University's National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit also found that the most deprived women in England were 38% less likely to have been seen by a health professional prior to 12 weeks' gestation and 47% less likely to report being able to see one as early as they desired. The authors of the study, published in international obstetrics and gynaecology journal BJOG on Wednesday urged action. "Having identified that poorer women have poorer maternal outcomes despite universal healthcare, the most important next step is the planning and development of strategies to address possible reasons for these differences in healthcare delivery and outcomes," they said. The most deprived women also had a higher chance of hospital admission, transfer during labour and unplanned caesarean delivery, according to the study, based on data from more than 5,000 responses to the 2010 National Maternity Survey. The authors say other factors that may contribute towards poor maternal outcomes among women from the lowest socioeconomic group include unplanned pregnancy and poor communication from healthcare professionals. They suggest several steps that must be taken to remedy the situation. These include a change in culture and attitude of health professionals towards pregnant women from lower socioeconomic groups; improved continuity of maternity care; better targeted maternal public health education and revision of the allocation and organisation of NHS resources, guidelines and maternity services with greater focus on socially disadvantaged women. Leaders of healthcare professionals who care for pregnant women acknowledged the problem but said more staff were needed to tackle it. Dr David Richmond, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "Pressure on maternity services is growing in some areas, particularly inner-city conurbations, placing stress on units. More consultants and midwives are needed to provide the standards of care we recommend 24 hours a day, especially given the rise in complex pregnancies." The Royal College of Midwives said more midwives would facilitate greater access, including longer appointments, for socially disadvantaged women. Rosemary Dodds, senior policy adviser at parenting charity NCT, described the report's findings as extremely worrying. "Providing high-quality antenatal care is crucial for expectant mothers," she said. "It can help them to cope better emotionally and may identify problems which could be treated. Improving continuity of carer for the most vulnerable women should be a priority to improve outcomes for mothers and babies." Previous research has shown that ethnic minority women, single mothers and those who ceased formal education at an earlier age access maternity services later, have poorer maternal health outcomes and report poorer experiences across a range of aspects of maternity care. Unemployed women are almost six times more likely to suffer a pregnancy related death than women from any category of employment, according to a 2011 report. A Department of Health spokesman said: "All women should receive the best possible care during their pregnancy, regardless of their circumstances. Since 2010 we have introduced 1,700 more midwives, with 6,000 more in training. We are also making sure every woman has a named midwife to ensure personalised care throughout pregnancy." |