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Differences in delivery hospitalization experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic by maternal race and ethnicity, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2020

Journal of Perinatology volume 44, pages 20–27 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

We investigated maternal COVID-19 related experiences during delivery hospitalizations, and whether experiences differed by maternal race and ethnicity.

Study design

Data from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System among women with live births between April–December 2020 were used. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) estimated associations between maternal race and ethnicity and COVID-19 related delivery experiences.

Results

Among 12,879 women, 3.6% reported infant separation and 1.8% reported not being allowed support persons. Compared with non-Hispanic White women, American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) (aPR = 2.7; CI: 1.2–6.2), Hispanic (aPR = 2.2; CI: 1.5–3.1), non-Hispanic Black (aPR = 2.4; CI: 1.7–3.6), and non-Hispanic Asian (aPR = 2.8; CI: 1.6–4.9) women reported more infant separation due to COVID-19. Not being allowed support persons was more common among AI/AN (aPR = 5.2; CI: 1.8–14.8) and non-Hispanic Black (aPR = 2.3; CI: 1.3–4.1) women.

Conclusions

COVID-19 related delivery hospitalization experiences were unequally distributed among racial and ethnic minorities.

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Fig. 1: Weighted percentages of maternal report of COVID-19 delivery hospitalization experiences, stratified by race and ethnicity, among women with a live, in-hospital, birth from April–December 2020, 29 jurisdictionsa, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System.

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Data availability

PRAMS data are available by request by submitting a proposal to CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/prams/prams-data/researchers.htm).

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) team, Women’s Health and Fertility Branch, Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for its administration of the PRAMS surveillance system, including collection of the data and technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Regina M. Simeone, Mehreen Meghani, Jessica R. Meeker, Lauren B. Zapata, Romeo R. Galang, Beatriz Salvesen Von Essen, Ada Dieke & Sascha R. Ellington

  2. CDC Foundation, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Mehreen Meghani & Beatriz Salvesen Von Essen

  3. U.S. Public Health Service, Rockville, MD, USA

    Jessica R. Meeker & Lauren B. Zapata

  4. Epidemic Intelligence Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Jessica R. Meeker

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conceptualization, data interpretation, and manuscript review and editing. MM, JM, LZ, and RS were involved with conceptualization, formal analysis, data interpretation, methodology, validation, and writing – review and editing. RS additionally contributed writing – original draft. RG, BS, AD, and SR were involved with conceptualization, methodology, data interpretation, and writing – review and editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Regina M. Simeone.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The PRAMS study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and participating jurisdictions. An informed consent document is included with the mailed questionnaire or read over the telephone. Consent is assumed with questionnaire completion.

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Simeone, R.M., Meghani, M., Meeker, J.R. et al. Differences in delivery hospitalization experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic by maternal race and ethnicity, Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, 2020. J Perinatol 44, 20–27 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-023-01763-9

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