Abstract
KEY MESSAGES
The challenge is:
• Pregnant women in prison face heightened risks of pregnancy complications. There is a need to address identified gaps in the care provided for incarcerated pregnant and postnatal women and their infants to improve health outcomes.
• All pregnancies in prison are now deemed ‘high risk,’ however gaps in care provision persist due to barriers to healthcare, particularly within the physical setting of prisons where women are confined.
• Specialised support to help mitigate adverse effects of mandatory separation in the critical 1001 days.
• Whenever possible, we should strive to avoid incarceration for pregnant women and explore all viable community-based alternatives. However, in exceptional circumstances where incarceration is unavoidable, we must ensure adequate, high quality maternity care provisions within the prison system.
The way forward requires:
• Prioritising community-based alternatives to imprisonment for women to enhance rehabilitation efforts and address specific healthcare needs, including pregnancy and motherhood
The challenge is:
• Pregnant women in prison face heightened risks of pregnancy complications. There is a need to address identified gaps in the care provided for incarcerated pregnant and postnatal women and their infants to improve health outcomes.
• All pregnancies in prison are now deemed ‘high risk,’ however gaps in care provision persist due to barriers to healthcare, particularly within the physical setting of prisons where women are confined.
• Specialised support to help mitigate adverse effects of mandatory separation in the critical 1001 days.
• Whenever possible, we should strive to avoid incarceration for pregnant women and explore all viable community-based alternatives. However, in exceptional circumstances where incarceration is unavoidable, we must ensure adequate, high quality maternity care provisions within the prison system.
The way forward requires:
• Prioritising community-based alternatives to imprisonment for women to enhance rehabilitation efforts and address specific healthcare needs, including pregnancy and motherhood
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | British Medical Journal (BMJ) |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 19 Sept 2024 |