Pregnancy outcomes among visually impaired women in Washington State, 1987-2014.
Melissa A Schiff, David R Doody, Deborah A Crane and 1 others
PMID 33384279WHAT IT FOUND
Visually impaired women had a 3.8-fold increased risk of severe pre-eclampsia and higher rates of preterm labor and induction.
However, most other outcomes, including cesarean delivery and low birth weight, showed no increased risk compared to women without visual impairment.
Key findings
01Women with visual impairment had a 3.8-fold increased risk of severe pre-eclampsia.
02Visually impaired women had a 60% increased risk of preterm delivery and a 33% increased risk of labor induction.
03There was no increased risk of cesarean delivery, low birth weight, or rehospitalization for the mother or child within two years.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on ICD-9 diagnosis codes to identify visual impairment, which had a low sensitivity of 32%, meaning many visually impaired women may have been missed, potentially biasing results toward the null. The data spanned 28 years (1987–2014), during which communication technologies and disability laws changed, so findings may not reflect current care contexts. The study could not determine the cause of visual impairment or account for specific reasons for labor induction. The sample size was small for detecting differences in rare outcomes. Results may not be generalizable outside Washington State.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that visual impairment itself directly causes these obstetric complications. The authors note that the association may be mediated by communication barriers, such as a lack of accessible education about pre-eclampsia symptoms, which could delay care-seeking. Additionally, the low sensitivity of the identification codes means the true prevalence of these risks among all visually impaired women is uncertain.