Maternal Differences in Healthcare Provider-Led Conversations About Patients' Work Prior to Pregnancy, Pregnancy Risk...

The aim of the study was to describe characteristics of women with a recent live birth who are, and are not, asked about their work by healthcare providers before pregnancy.

We analyzed 2016-2021 data from 48 jurisdictions participating in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Questionnaires asked mothers about provider-led conversations about their work. We descriptively compared weighted percentages with 95% confidence intervals across demographic and occupational characteristics.

Of 157,724 participants, 36% reported not being asked about their work by a provider in the year before pregnancy. Higher proportions of younger and lower-income mothers, certain Asian and Native groups, and mothers in some occupations and industries posing a risk of occupational hazards reported no provider-led conversations about their work.

Healthcare providers can more routinely ask patients about work to assess for possible occupational hazards to pregnancy.