Abstract

Purpose/Aim: Pregnant incarcerated women are a medically and socially vulnerable population. Approximately 4% of women admitted to U.S. state prisons and 3% admitted to jails are pregnant at intake, and an estimated 25% are pregnant or have given birth within the year prior to incarceration. In the absence of mandatory federal or state standards, access to obstetric care varies widely across facilities, contributing to disparities in maternal and neonatal outcomes. This literature review evaluates whether structured obstetric care programs, compared with limited prenatal services, improve maternal complications, preterm birth, neonatal outcomes, and postpartum continuity of care.

Methodology: A structured search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and JSTOR was conducted using PICO-derived keywords related to pregnancy, incarceration, obstetric care, and perinatal outcomes. Boolean operators and truncation (e.g., pregnan*, incarcerat*) refined results. Inclusion criteria prioritized peer-reviewed, English-language human studies published 2015–2025; foundational studies were retained for alignment with the intervention component. Six studies were synthesized using a standardized framework capturing design, population, intervention, outcomes, findings, and limitations.

Results/Findings: Included studies represented diverse methodologies: a systematic review and meta-analysis, a national cohort, a narrative review, a pilot intervention, qualitative interviews, and a policy analysis. The most consistent comparative finding was that incarcerated pregnant women experience higher rates of inadequate prenatal care (34%; OR 2.99) and low-birthweight infants (OR 1.66), with no significant difference in preterm birth or stillbirth compared to non- incarcerated controls2. Structured prenatal care, doula support, and prison-based education were associated with improved outcomes. Effective models included prison nurseries, reentry programs, and doula-supported care such as the Minnesota Prison Doula Project and the Isis Rising Project. Policy initiatives, including Minnesota’s Healthy Start Act, support postpartum continuity of care. Persistent barriers included delayed provider access, fragmented care, and inadequate postpartum support during and after release.

Conclusion/Implications for Women’s Health: Structured obstetric care in correctional settings is essential to improving maternal and neonatal outcomes and reducing disparities. Women’s health nurse practitioners are well positioned to lead implementation through clinical practice, education, and policy advocacy. Expanding standardized protocols, doula and education programs, and coordinated transitions of care is critical to advancing equitable maternal health for incarcerated women.

Description

This project was completed as apart of degree requirements (Doctor of Nursing Practice) at Columbia University School of Nursing

Faculty Advisor: Latisha Hanson, MSN, BS, DNP, PMHNP-BC, RN

Notes

Author Note: This project represents completed research. No external funding was received.

Author Details

Sherah Ndjongo, MS, RN, is a DNP-PMHNP candidate at Columbia University School of Nursing with research and practice focused on perinatal health in correctional settings. Certified as an RN in New York and New Jersey, she recently completed forensic nursing and SAFE certification training in early 2026. She works as a staff nurse at NYC Health + Hospitals Correctional Health Services/ Rikers Island and Bellevue Hospital and serves as a Nurse Home Visitor with the Nurse-Family Partnership in Queens, NY. Her primary interests include perinatal continuity for incarcerated women and health equity in forensic contexts.

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Literature Review

Research Approach

Mixed/Multi Method Research

Keywords:

Incarcerated Pregnant Women, Women Prisoners, Pregnant Women, Obstetric Care, Maternal Health Services, Women's Health, Maternal Health, Maternal Health Outcomes, Pregnancy Outcomes, Health Outcomes Assessment

Conference Year

2026

Conference Location

Richmond, Virginia, USA

Conference Host

National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH)

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-11-02

Full Text of Presentation

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Additional Files

Detailed_Abstract.pdf (293 kB)

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