Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
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PAGE 151<br />
4.7 Pregnancy outcomes in women with intellectual disability<br />
McC<strong>on</strong>nell et al. (2008a: 530) c<strong>on</strong>tend, based <strong>on</strong> their previous findings<br />
(McC<strong>on</strong>nell, Mayes, Russo <strong>and</strong> H<strong>on</strong>ey, 2003; Llewellyn & McC<strong>on</strong>nell,<br />
2002; Llewellyn, McC<strong>on</strong>nell, H<strong>on</strong>ey, Mayes <strong>and</strong> Russo, 2003), that<br />
pregnant women with intellectual disability typically have multiple risk<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>iles for adverse pregnancy <strong>and</strong> poor birth outcomes, including low<br />
literacy, low income <strong>and</strong> poor health. In additi<strong>on</strong>, they are likely to have<br />
difficulty accessing quality antenatal care, given the fact that social <strong>and</strong><br />
healthcare providers are generally not properly equipped to cater for<br />
their learning needs (Beange, McElduff <strong>and</strong> Baker, 1995; McC<strong>on</strong>nell,<br />
Llewellyn <strong>and</strong> Bye, 1997; Kapell, Nightingale, Rodriguez, Lee, Zigman<br />
<strong>and</strong> Schupf, 1998).<br />
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are<br />
<strong>Accessible</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Appropriate</strong> <strong>of</strong> Provisi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Review</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Literature</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy<br />
McC<strong>on</strong>nell et al.’s research (2008a) explored the prevalence <strong>of</strong> poor<br />
pregnancy <strong>and</strong> birth outcomes in women with intellectual disability<br />
<strong>and</strong>/or self-reported learning difficulties in an antenatal populati<strong>on</strong>.<br />
The research involved utilising antenatal clinic records in a socioec<strong>on</strong>omically<br />
disadvantaged area <strong>of</strong> Sydney, Australia. Over a five-m<strong>on</strong>th<br />
period, all pregnant women attending their first appointment at two<br />
public hospitals (<strong>and</strong> who met the criteria <strong>of</strong> English pr<strong>of</strong>iciency) were<br />
invited to participate. Identificati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> intellectual disability was based<br />
<strong>on</strong> a social systems definiti<strong>on</strong> (Mercer, 1973): intellectual disability was<br />
identified when a woman had previously been labelled with intellectual<br />
disability by social services, <strong>and</strong> received supports <strong>and</strong> services<br />
exclusively for people with intellectual disability. An experienced health<br />
practiti<strong>on</strong>er asked each woman attending her first antenatal clinic visit:<br />
1) Had she ever been in a class or school for students with learning<br />
difficulties?<br />
2) Did she receive a pensi<strong>on</strong> or benefit for a disability?<br />
If so, then she answered additi<strong>on</strong>al questi<strong>on</strong>s to c<strong>on</strong>firm that her<br />
placement in a special class or school was related to general learning<br />
difficulties rather than a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia,<br />
<strong>and</strong>/or to c<strong>on</strong>firm that the disability pensi<strong>on</strong> was received for intellectual<br />
rather than another disability. Two additi<strong>on</strong>al ‘screening’ questi<strong>on</strong>s were<br />
asked to identify women who experienced difficulties with learning, but<br />
did not receive services or benefits for women labelled with intellectual<br />
disability. These were: