Enhancing Parental Leave Policies to Improve Postpartum Care Access

Enhancing Parental Leave Policies to Improve Postpartum Care Access

Dr. Brianna Keefe-Oates, Northeastern University

Policy Brief 2024-3

September, 2024

Parental leave duration can significantly affect postpartum care attendance, with shorter leave periods leading to lower attendance rates and thus increasing the risk of negative health outcomes. Comprehensive research led by Community to Community Impact Engine (C2C) Seed Grant Recipient Brianna Keefe-Oates indicates that individuals with less than seven weeks of leave are less likely to attend postpartum care visits, which may negatively impact health.[1] Low-income families face the highest absolute risks, regardless of leave duration, indicating additional barriers to postpartum healthcare access.

This policy brief, based on research using data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, advocates for implementing comprehensive paid parental leave policies and providing additional support for low-income families to improve postpartum healthcare access. These support services are essential to improving postpartum care attendance and health outcomes, reducing racial and economic disparities, and promoting overall health equity in the postpartum period.