Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion

CHERP Core Investigator, Deirdre A. Quinn, MD, MSc, MLitt

Publication Brief: Veterans Using Benefits Experience High Rates of Adverse Pregnancy Events and Pregnancy-Associated Death, with Black Veterans Most at Risk

Research published by CHERP Core Investigator and Career Development Awardee (CDA), Deirdre A. Quinn, MD, MSc, MLitt, highlights the high rates of adverse pregnancy events and uncovers the unique risk profile of Veterans who use VA maternity benefits as a driver of observed disparities.

This work, completed in collaboration with CHERP Affiliate Investigator, Sonya Borrero, MD, MS, and  Lisa S. Callegari, MD, MPH of the Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation, examined VA administrative data for 22,491 Veterans with at least one pregnancy outcome between October 2009 and September 2016 and a primary care visit within one year prior to pregnancy. They found that:

• Nearly 3% of pregnancies recorded an adverse event. Pregnancies among Black Veterans had 69% higher odds of any adverse event compared to those among White Veterans even after adjusting for potential confounders, including geographic location, rurality, and VA enrollment priority group.
• Death during or within 1 year of pregnancy was recorded for 18 pregnancies, resulting in an estimated overall pregnancy-associated mortality rate of 76 deaths per 100,000 live births—nearly double the highest reported national non-VA rate.
• A high number of pregnancies (71% of the overall sample and 73% of the sample with adverse events) occurred among Veterans with a service-connected disability.

You can read more about this research here:

Quinn DA, Sileanu FE, Mor MK, Callegari LS, Borrero S. Describing Adverse Pregnancy Events and Pregnancy-Associated Death Among Veterans. Journal of Women’s Health. September 20, 2024; online ahead of print.