Call for papers - Experiences of pregnancy, antenatal care, and birth for incarcerated women

Guest Editors

Laura Abbott, RGN, RM, BA, BSc (Hons), MSc, DHRes, The University of Hertfordshire, UK
Elaine Jefford, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), BSc (Hons), RM, RN, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 17 January 2025

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is calling for submissions to our Collection on Experiences of pregnancy, antenatal care, and birth for incarcerated women.

This Collection aims to highlight the maternal healthcare experiences of incarcerated pregnant individuals and those who provide care for them. Pregnant women and other individuals facing incarceration encounter unique challenges, and understanding their medical needs from the first trimester to postpartum can enhance obstetric care and maternal outcomes. Insights from both incarcerated pregnant individuals and healthcare providers in carceral settings can identify deficiencies in maternal care, ultimately enhancing the well-being of both mothers and their children.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Laura Abbott, RGN, RM, BA, BSc (Hons), MSc, DHRes, The University of Hertfordshire, UK

Dr Laura Abbott, an Associate Professor at The University of Hertfordshire, is an accomplished researcher and midwife specializing in pregnancy and new motherhood in prison settings. She began her career in healthcare by qualifying as a Registered Nurse in 1993 and later became a Registered Midwife in 2000. After working as an independent midwife for several years, Laura transitioned into education. Her doctoral research, titled "The Incarcerated Pregnancy: An Ethnographic Study of Perinatal Women in English Prisons," provided valuable insights into the experiences of pregnant women in prison. Beyond academia, she helps shape policy at His Majesty's Prison and Probation Services, has co-founded international collaborations such as Pregnancy in Prison Partnership International (PIPPI) and the UK-wide Prison Midwives Support Group. Laura is also a Principal Investigator for the ESRC funded Lost Mothers Project, a significant initiative in collaboration with Birth Companions and their Lived Experience Team. This project focuses on examining the experiences of enforced separation from newborn babies, shedding light on the profound impact it has on both mothers within the criminal justice system and the perspectives of health, social, and prison professionals involved. As a campaigner she advocates for ending the sentencing of pregnant women to prison, emphasizing the need for alternative, compassionate approaches that prioritize the well-being of both mothers and their babies. Her research and activism contribute to a broader movement seeking a more just and humane system for pregnant women involved with the criminal justice system.

Elaine Jefford, PhD, MSc, BSc (Hons), BSc (Hons), RM, RN, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia

Dr Elaine Jefford is a midwifery academic, researcher, and author. Her research focus is within the field of midwifery decision-making, and abdicating one’s professional accountability, the impacts of this in relation to risk, safety, and quality of care provision. Her program of research has led to strong collaborations in national and international research, service development work, and practitioner training initiatives. Other research interests include birth trauma, perinatal mental well-being, deteriorating women, childbirth for women facing incarceration, and self-compassion. Dr Jefford is a member of Pregnancy in Prison Partnership International (PIPPI). She has also been involved in national and international midwifery curriculum development and was a member of the Midwifery Accreditation Committee, which is part of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Accreditation Council.

About the Collection

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is calling for submissions to our Collection on Experiences of pregnancy, antenatal care, and birth for incarcerated women.

Women and other individuals who are incarcerated while pregnant face distinctive challenges throughout all stages of their pregnancies. Understanding the challenges that pregnant individuals who are incarcerated face during each trimester, childbirth, and the postpartum period is crucial, as inadequate knowledge often contributes to ineffective obstetric care and poor maternal outcomes within pregnant incarcerated populations. The lived experiences of those who are incarcerated while pregnant and of healthcare professionals in the carceral setting can identify gaps in obstetric and maternal care provisions, improving the experiences of these mothers and their children.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth is launching a new Collection, Experiences of pregnancy, antenatal care, and birth for incarcerated women, to highlight the maternal healthcare experiences of incarcerated pregnant individuals and those who provide care for them. We invite researchers from obstetrics, midwifery, maternal health, neonatal care, public health, social sciences, allied health, and related disciplines to contribute qualitative and quantitative research on topics including but not limited to lived experiences of pregnancy in carceral settings, examining barriers to accessing and providing optimal care across the childbearing continuum, potential or real impact on maternal and fetal health outcomes, perinatal mental health, long-term health outcomes for mother, child(ren) and family/community, and comparative studies as well as policy recommendations.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Experiences of pregnancy, antenatal care, and birth for incarcerated women" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.