RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS

Infertility prevalence and the methods of estimation from 1990 to 2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis

November 2022

Study question: What is the contemporary prevalence of infertility in world populations and how do they differ by methodological and study characteristics?

Summary answer: Pooled estimates of lifetime and period prevalence of 12-month infertility were 17.5% and 12.6%, respectively, but this varied by study population and methodological approach.

Study design size duration: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Six electronic databases, websites of relevant organizations, and conference proceedings were systematically searched. Searches were limited to those published between 1 January 1990 and 11 March 2021, with no language restrictions.

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Published in Human Reproduction Open.

All-Cause Maternal Mortality in the US Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic

June 2022

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) reported an 18.4% increase in US maternal mortality (ie, death during pregnancy or within 42 days of pregnancy) between 2019 and 2020. The relative increase was 44.4% among Hispanic, 25.7% among non-Hispanic Black, and 6.1% among non-Hispanic White women. Given a 16.8% increase in overall US mortality in 2020, largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, we examined the pandemic’s role in 2020 maternal death rates.

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Published in JAMA Network Open

The role of doulas in respectful care for communities of color and Medicaid recipients

December 2022

Despite the tenets of rights-based, person-centered maternity care, racialized groups, low-income people, and people who receive Medicaid insurance in the United States experience mistreatment, discrimination, and disrespectful care more often than people with higher income or who identify as white. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the presence of a doula (a person who provides continuous support during childbirth) and respectful care during birth, especially for groups made vulnerable by systemic inequality.

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Published in Birth