Pregnancy and physical disability: A scoping review.

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Disability Studies
• Maternal Medicine

Background:

• Women with disabilities share pregnancy desires with non-disabled peers but experience more ambivalence.
• While many have healthy pregnancies, they face increased risks impacting health, function, and independence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a literature review on pregnancy in women with physical disabilities.
• To inform interventions and clinical care guidelines for this population.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of original research on pregnancy in adult women with physical disabilities.
• Inclusion of qualitative and quantitative studies from PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL Complete.
• Data extraction and critical appraisal using Covidence software.

Main Results:

• 171 articles covered five key topics: fertility/loss rates, pregnancy complications, effects on maternal function, maternal care, and social dimensions.
• Most studies originated from the Americas and Europe, utilizing quantitative designs with moderate risk of bias.
• Key themes included pregnancy rates, complications, functional impacts, care experiences, and social aspects.

Conclusions:

• Future research should focus on building evidence for tailored maternal care.
• Investigate the impact of disability discrimination on pregnancy outcomes.
• Develop interventions to mitigate disability-related inequities and enhance provider competence.