Identifying how ableism affects pregnancy and postpartum care for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities on Medicaid
Official title: Identifying the impact of ableism on maternal health outcomes among Medicaid-enrolled women with IDD
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11593502 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how bias and barriers in the healthcare system affect pregnancy and postpartum outcomes for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are on Medicaid and their babies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 1, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $605,477 |
| NIH project number | 7R01HD116300-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11593502 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant or postpartum individuals aged 14–50 with intellectual or developmental disabilities enrolled in Medicaid, and their infants.
✕Less likely to help
Some individuals without I/DD or those not enrolled in Medicaid may not directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
The project will analyze national Medicaid data from 2016–2023 to identify women aged 14–50 with I/DD who have given birth and to compare their health experiences and outcomes to those of peers without I/DD. It will examine access to care, use of services, and potential disparities during pre-delivery, delivery, and postpartum periods. The researchers will link mothers to their infants to understand how maternal experiences relate to infant health outcomes. Results could highlight areas where care is lacking and guide policy and training to reduce ableism in maternal healthcare.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to improved access to respectful, appropriate care for pregnant people with I/DD and better health outcomes for their babies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work using large administrative data has shown disparities in maternal health; this study aims to fill gaps by focusing on I/DD and Medicaid and may confirm and extend prior findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shea, Lindsay Lawer — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Shea, Lindsay Lawer
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.