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Poster Session 4

Category: Perinatal Mental Health

Poster Session 4

(1268) Adverse Childhood Experiences are Associated with Maternal Morbidity and Social Vulnerability

Thursday, February 12, 2026

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

Spencer C. Darveau, BA, MD

Resident
NewYork Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Ob/Gyn
New York, New York, United States

Coauthor(s)

SW

Sarah J. Weingarten, MD

Fellow
Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New-York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New-York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell, New York, United States
AB

Aarushi Bhan, BS

Case Western Medical School
Cleveland, Ohio, United States
MJ

Maya Jordan, BS

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine
New York, New York, United States
LK

Layla Kaiden, BS

NewYork Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Ob/Gyn
New York, New York, United States
Corrina M. Oxford-Horrey, MD

Medical Director, Labor & Delivery
NewYork Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Ob/Gyn
New York, New York, United States

Objective:
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, have been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to evaluate whether high ACE scores were associated with increased risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcomes and psychosocial vulnerability in an urban obstetric cohort.

Study Design:
This prospective cohort study enrolled pregnant patients ≥18 years old who delivered at ≥20 weeks gestation from 2023–2024. Participants completed the 10-item ACE Questionnaire. Demographics, delivery characteristics, and clinical outcomes were extracted from the electronic medical record. Clinical outcomes were based on the Center for Disease Control’s indicators of Severe Maternal Morbidity (SMM), including ICU admission, blood product transfusion, vasoactive medication use, and obstetric complications. ACE scores were categorized as low (0–3) or high (≥4), and descriptive and comparative analyses were performed using Fisher’s exact and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results:
Among 133 patients, 24 (18%) had high ACE scores. Demographics are shown in Table 1. Compared to those with low ACE scores, these patients were more likely to identify as non-white (p=0.012), Hispanic or Latino (p< 0.001), have lower income (p=0.003), be unmarried (p=0.003), have public insurance (p< 0.001), and carry a psychiatric diagnosis (p=0.044). Maternal and neonatal outcomes are shown in Table 2. Rate of postpartum ICU- admission was significantly higher in the high ACE group (12.5% vs 0.9%, p=0.019). Newborn complications and NICU admission rates did not significantly differ between groups.

Conclusion:
In this cohort, higher ACE scores were associated with increased risk of ICU admission after delivery and multiple social and psychiatric risk factors. These findings support further exploration of ACE-informed perinatal screening and tailored care strategies to address cumulative stress exposure and potentially improve outcomes.