Post-partum healthcare utilization among women with intellectual disabilities in comparison with the general population: a report from the IDcare study
Axmon, Anna LU
; Liu, Can
and Sandberg, Magnus
LU
(2026)
IASSIDD’s 7th European Congress
- Abstract
- Background: Women with intellectual disabilities have increased risks of pregnancy-related complications and adverse maternal outcomes. This could increase their risk of post-partum care needs.
Research Question(s): Do post-partum healthcare utilization differ between women with intellectual disabilities and women from the general population?
Methodology: Through national and regional registers, we identified 382 women with intellectual disabilities (ID cohort) and 66685 women from the general population (gPop cohort) who had given birth 2014-2021. We assessed post-partum healthcare (provided by midwives and/or with diagnosis “post-partum care and examination”) and rehospitalization within 42 days of delivery.
Results: In the... (More) - Background: Women with intellectual disabilities have increased risks of pregnancy-related complications and adverse maternal outcomes. This could increase their risk of post-partum care needs.
Research Question(s): Do post-partum healthcare utilization differ between women with intellectual disabilities and women from the general population?
Methodology: Through national and regional registers, we identified 382 women with intellectual disabilities (ID cohort) and 66685 women from the general population (gPop cohort) who had given birth 2014-2021. We assessed post-partum healthcare (provided by midwives and/or with diagnosis “post-partum care and examination”) and rehospitalization within 42 days of delivery.
Results: In the ID cohort, 58% (n=220) had their first visit with a midwife within 42 days and 52% (n=198) had any healthcare contact for post-partum care in this period. In comparison, 64% (n=42568) in the gPop cohort had their first visit with a midwife (relative risk [RR] for ID vs gPop 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.79-1.03) and 56% (n=37538) had any healthcare contact for post-partum care (RR 0.92, 0.80-1.06). During the same period, women in the ID cohort had almost twice the risk as women in the gPop cohort as being rehospitalized (7% [n=27] vs 4% [n=2452], RR 1.92, 1.32-2.81).
Conclusion: In a universal healthcare setting, where national guidelines regulates that all women who have given birth should be provided a post-partum care visit with midwifes in 42 days port-partum, we found indications of reduced post-partum examination among women with intellectual disabilities, while at the same time they had strikingly high risk of rehospitalization. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/29775a7d-af48-4348-99e3-6e2a0c2145d2
- author
- Axmon, Anna
LU
; Liu, Can
and Sandberg, Magnus
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2026-07-22
- type
- Contribution to conference
- publication status
- published
- subject
- conference name
- IASSIDD’s 7th European Congress
- conference location
- Munich
- conference dates
- 2026-07-28 - 2026-07-31
- project
- Health care utilization in primary and specialist care among people with intellectual disability: A longitudinal register study
- Support, health care, end-of-life care, and causes of death among people with intellectual disability: Effects of the Covid-19 pandemic
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 29775a7d-af48-4348-99e3-6e2a0c2145d2
- date added to LUP
- 2026-08-10 14:35:06
- date last changed
- 2026-08-11 08:36:36
@misc{29775a7d-af48-4348-99e3-6e2a0c2145d2,
abstract = {{Background: Women with intellectual disabilities have increased risks of pregnancy-related complications and adverse maternal outcomes. This could increase their risk of post-partum care needs. <br/>Research Question(s): Do post-partum healthcare utilization differ between women with intellectual disabilities and women from the general population?<br/>Methodology: Through national and regional registers, we identified 382 women with intellectual disabilities (ID cohort) and 66685 women from the general population (gPop cohort) who had given birth 2014-2021. We assessed post-partum healthcare (provided by midwives and/or with diagnosis “post-partum care and examination”) and rehospitalization within 42 days of delivery. <br/>Results: In the ID cohort, 58% (n=220) had their first visit with a midwife within 42 days and 52% (n=198) had any healthcare contact for post-partum care in this period. In comparison, 64% (n=42568) in the gPop cohort had their first visit with a midwife (relative risk [RR] for ID vs gPop 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.79-1.03) and 56% (n=37538) had any healthcare contact for post-partum care (RR 0.92, 0.80-1.06). During the same period, women in the ID cohort had almost twice the risk as women in the gPop cohort as being rehospitalized (7% [n=27] vs 4% [n=2452], RR 1.92, 1.32-2.81).<br/>Conclusion: In a universal healthcare setting, where national guidelines regulates that all women who have given birth should be provided a post-partum care visit with midwifes in 42 days port-partum, we found indications of reduced post-partum examination among women with intellectual disabilities, while at the same time they had strikingly high risk of rehospitalization.}},
author = {{Axmon, Anna and Liu, Can and Sandberg, Magnus}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
title = {{Post-partum healthcare utilization among women with intellectual disabilities in comparison with the general population: a report from the IDcare study}},
year = {{2026}},
}